A World of Their Own
by Lorraine24
Summary: LxOC-Soon after the LABB murders,L finds an unconscious girl near an old warehouse he's using. Denial,secrets,guilt,love,doubt,nightmares,and the elements are all in full swing as L discovers his connection to her. Romance/Supernatural.
1. Puddles

**Disclamer: I do not own Death Note. I only own the OC's that will appear in the story. **

**Death Note is the property of Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata. **

**Death Note:Another Note is the work of Ishin Nishio.**

****Author's Note**This story is meant to take place between the events of _Another Note_ and _Death Note_.**

**

* * *

**

****Spoiler Alert****

If you haven't read **Death Note: Another Note**, then you probably aren't going to understand everything that's going on in this first chapter. I had to write around the last 2 chapters. If you haven't read those yet and don't want the ending spoiled, then don't read this story yet! Some of the dialog comes straight out of the book. Chapter two of this fanfic has the same spoiler warning.

The C.S. Lewis quote will be explained later in the story.

* * *

"_To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything, and your heart will certainly be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact, you must give your heart to no one, not even to an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements; lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket- safe, dark, motionless, airless—it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable." _

C.S. Lewis

* * *

**Puddles**

**1.**

"Nothing happening here. I spoke to Ryuzaki earlier, but nothing has happened on his end either. No signs of anything out of the ordinary. I'm starting to feel like we're in it for the long haul."

"I see. Don't let your guard down. As I said before, your backup is in position around the condominium, but if anything happens, they aren't close enough to respond immediately."

L popped another Jolly Rancher into his mouth as he watched the live footage streaming from the condo that Rue Ryuzaki- or B, as L knew him- currently occupied. _'Wedy's skill puts ultimate shame to Arsène Lupin's. She managed to place the cameras in record time.'_ He smirked to himself as he compared his loyal and beautiful thief to Maurice Leblanc's fictional character.

Naomi Misora was on the other end of the incoming call he had received. She was stationed in another room within the condominium complex; L had made sure to have cameras installed in that room as well. Both L and Naomi were waiting for Beyond Birthday to attempt his 4th murder. Naomi, however, was a little in the dark about a few details. She had no idea that there were cameras in either of the rooms. She had yet to realize that Rue Ryuzaki, the private investigator that had been helping her with the case, was actually B, himself.

L briefed Naomi on a few key points to his plan that he felt she needed to know and then prepared to wrap up the conversation. As he half sincerely answered a few of Naomi's questions about B and about what justice was really supposed to mean, he heard Watari speak suddenly from behind him.

"Are you not going to inform Ms. Misora about Ryuzaki?"

L turned his head slightly so that he could see Watari from the corner of his eye. He held up his hand, which gave Watari the signal to save the questions for later. L made his closing remark before closing his cell phone and popped 3 more Jolly Ranchers into his mouth.

"Mmmm. I wonder if she'll figure it out before B makes his move."

"L, why leave the poor woman in the dark? Wouldn't it be more feasible to inform Ms. Misora now so she can get a better grasp of what she's dealing with before it actually happens?"

"Naomi Misora's self confidence has taken a hard hit since she was placed on suspension from the FBI. I'm simply trying to give her a chance to put the pieces of the puzzle together herself. I know she has the ability to do such. It will give her a feeling of redemption once she reaches the right conclusion without B or myself holding her hand. She _is_ the one who will take public credit for solving this case after all. Either way, I'm getting all the evidence I need on video tape, so it really doesn't make any difference."

Watari looked almost dumbfounded.

"Besides," L continued, "Wouldn't you agree that it's much more fun this way?" He shot Watari a sly smirk.

"If she doesn't figure it out, then B won't live to see his trail."

"Tell me Watari, given the choice to die thinking you accomplished your ultimate goal, or to live out the rest of your life knowing that you failed... what would you consider a harsher punishment? No, what would _B_ consider the harsher of the two?"

Watari didn't answer. He instead turned his attention to the monitor that displayed the room B was currently in. He was setting up his own crime scene; all the while smiling and laughing to himself. A can of gasoline rested on the bed beside him. L raised his index finger to his lips.

"Have you ever witnessed anything like it Watari? Here we have a man who is about to commit suicide by burning himself to death- which I imagine would be painfully unpleasant- and yet he looks as if he's about to break into full song and dance at any moment because he's convinced he's pulled one over on me."

Watari still remained silent. L's attention left the monitors as he focused on Watari. It didn't seem to register with him that Watari was having an emotional battle with himself. He turned back to the screen and studied the man on camera again.

"How incredibly lame for him to dress himself up like that. I mean, he obviously has my eyes all wrong! Wouldn't you agree, Watari?" He turned to Watari again and batted his eyes playfully.

"Why are you treating this as a joke? You know this case strikes a chord with me. He's just as much a son to me as any other child of Wammy House. I took him under my wing, just as I did with you."

L began to reach for another Jolly Rancher, but his hand froze in mid air before slowly falling away from the candy dish. "Just as B is your son, he is my brother. This is really no different than sibling rivalry. Surpassing his elder brother- winning the game- means more to him than life itself. It has come to this because he has spent much of his life being conditioned to walk in my shadow."

Watari's eyes narrowed as L's last comment stabbed him in the gut. He thought of a father who favored one child more than any of the others; so highly that he expected his other children to live exactly as his trophy child lived. How could any of those children ever hope to be stable?

L paused for a brief moment to study Watari's reaction, who in turn looked taken aback. "Forgive me Watari. It wasn't my intention to upset you." He turned towards the monitors once more. Naomi Misora was sitting uncomfortably in a lounge chair. She rocked back and forth slightly, apparently in deep thought- trying to figure out something important.

"Raye Penber is a very lucky man." L was playing with his bottom lip as he admired her. He heard the first drops of rain start falling on the tin roof above him. They tapped the warehouse roof in a steady rhythm before progressing to an upbeat and heavy down pour. L rubbed his temples as he tried to drown out the noise. The overall lack of machinery or inventory in the abandoned warehouse made the echo of the rain even worse. "Well, that's annoying."

Watari was now watching B douse himself with gasoline. He could feel his blood pressure rising. "L, I've never questioned your methods before, but you have to intervene now! A man's life is on the line here! I beg of you! Call Wedy or Aiber! They're both in position and ready to act! Call Naomi! Put a stop to this now!" Watari seldom lost his composure, but this was just too much.

"Watari… you really don't understand, do you?" L's face wore no expression.

"No. No, I'm sorry. I can't continue to watch this."

Without another word, Watari retreated to a small office within the warehouse. He couldn't understand how L could be so cold and heartless. _'This isn't like him. The boy has always instinctively used kindness under the cloak of a childish game. No one ever realizes his true nature. This time, I'm afraid I'm the one who can't see under the cloak he's wearing. What am I missing?'_

L had watched Watari's quick departure. _'Watari… I'm sorry you don't understand; but this is my gift to B. It's not a game to me anymore.'_

An orange glare from one of the monitors suddenly caught L's attention. Beyond Birthday, was now engulfed in flames. L's eyes were wide open. He couldn't move as he watched the man on the screen screaming in pain while he danced around the room. His stomach turned summersaults as he observed the man's skin shriveling up through the orange tint and burning away. Every nerve in L's body felt cold jolts. He couldn't find his breath. In that moment, L had wished he was in the room with B so he could extinguish the flames; but…

L suddenly had an impulse to check on Naomi Misora. His eyes darted to her screen, but she wasn't there. His fingers dug deeply into his legs. _'No, Naomi! Not yet! If he lives through this; his suffering will be far greater than what he's feeling right now!'_

He quickly made contact with Wedy. "Wedy, this is L! Naomi Misora is on her way to B's room! I need you to do whatever you can to distract her from finding her immediate destination, even if it's only for a few seconds."

Though a little confused by L's orders, Wedy stormed out of the condo she was stationed in and into the hallway just in time to see Naomi Misora coming out of the stairwell entrance. She noticed the gun that Misora was carrying and went with that; letting out a long and loud scream as she stared at the gun. Misora spun around and took in the image of the screaming woman. It took her a moment to register that the woman was screaming at her because of the gun. The woman continued to scream dramatically as she backed up to her condo door and darted back in, slamming the door behind her. Wedy now rested against the back door. _'Well, that was overplayed! There's your few seconds, L.'_

L's eyes darted back and forth from monitor to monitor. He choked back a quick breath as his attention rested on the room right outside of B's fabricated crime scene. Naomi Misora was trying to force herself through the locked door. L was feeling defeated. He couldn't handle not being in full control of any given situation. His mind was racing completely out of control has he helplessly watched Naomi Misora fire 3 shots into the lock of door. _'Naomi Misora… the pawn played by both B and myself… perhaps B really did defeat me; only not in the way he was hoping.'_

Naomi Misora was now in the same room as Rue Ryuzaki. The smoke that filled the room made it impossible for L to see what was happening on the monitor. He chewed on his thumb so hard, he drew blood. Failing to acknowledge the coopery taste that now filled his mouth, he listened intently to the events unfolding in the room. There was the unmistakable sound of a fire extinguisher spraying followed by Naomi Misora's voice shouting at B from the top of her lungs. "Ryuzaki? Ryuzaki!"

The rain continued to pound on the tin roof. Straining to hear what was taking place on the monitor; L grabbed a set of headphones and plugged it into the audio outlet in an attempt to drown out the sound of the rain. His closed his eyes and slowly inhaled the stale warehouse air as Misora's words rang through his ears. "Rue Ryuzaki, I arrest you on suspicion of the murders of Believe Bridesmaid, Quarter Queen, and Backyard Bottomslash. You do not have the right to remain silent, you do not have the right to an attorney, and you do not have the right to a fair trial."

L still couldn't see what was going on in the room due to the smoke. He didn't need to see. He switched off every monitor and stared at the empty screens. He was feeling emotions that he wasn't accustomed to dealing with. He hugged his knees as tight as he could and allowed the sounds of the thunder and rain to wash his feelings into the background. He now focused all of his concentration on the rhythms that pounded against the tin roof.

A large gust of wind knocked the sound off rhythm. Watari had emerged from the old office room. "L, what's going on? Is it already over?"

L never looked away from the blank screens. "It is indeed… over." His voice was barely audible against the sounds the storm was creating outside.

"What about B? Is he alive?"

"Yes, but I'm afraid all is not well with him."

"You allowed him to go through with his suicide attempt then? What were you thinking? If B survives his injuries, he'll never be the same again. Why did you not intervene?"

Before L could answer (assuming he had even intended to), a loud smash echoed across the warehouse. Watari almost jumped out of his skin. _'This really is too much for a man of my age.'_ L remained still and focused on the side of the warehouse from which the sound had come from.

"Watari, do you recall seeing any trees around this building upon entering?"

"No, but there are a few light posts that line the building. Perhaps the storm knocked one over?"

"I suppose I'll go survey the damage. I need to go for a walk anyway. The bells are ringing again."

"I'm not sure it's completely safe. Besides, there's still a heavy down pour out there. You really should try and stay out of it."

"Heavy down pour? Yes, I do believe that sums up my current thought pattern at this moment. I should blend in with the elements quite nicely."

"Very well then; but at the very least, take an umbrella?"

L grabbed a few Jolly Ranchers and headed towards the door. "That won't be necessary, Watari; however, I am grateful for your general concern in regards to my health."

With his hands tucked safely away in his pockets and a watermelon Jolly Rancher under his tongue, L ventured outside in to the rain. The wind was rather strong for a common thunder storm. The scene seemed more likely to fall into the hurricane or typhoon category. He stood in silence for a while as the wind slung stinging raindrops against his face.

His thoughts wandered to the conversation he had had with Naomi Misora just before B had been apprehended.

"_There are people who justice cannot save," he had told her._

"_And there are people who evil can save," she had replied._

"_There are. But even so, justice has more power than anything else."_

"_Power? By power… you mean strength?"_

"_No. I mean kindness."_

"…_I misunderstood you, L."_

"_Did you? Well, I'm glad we cleared that up."_

He tilted his head up toward the sky and closed his eyes. The bells were there tonight, carried in by the wind. _'I thought the wind was supposed to whistle, not ring.' _He stood for a moment longer before he decided to stroll over to the other side of the building. As he walked, he purposely stepped in every puddle he could find. The cold water felt soothing around his feet. Walking bare foot in puddles had always been a favorite childhood pastime of his; one he didn't care to grow out of.

As L edged around the building, he noticed the area was well lit. All the light posts in place- no trees in sight. Nothing looked out of the ordinary at all. Nothing except… he squinted as he tried to make out the mound of… whatever it was lying only a few feet away from the building.

'_That looks like a… no, it can't be.'_

He cautiously continued forward. As he moved closer, he confirmed to himself what the object that now had his full attention actually was. In a shallow puddle, was a young woman – nude and either unconscious or dead. L sighed. _'Now my night is complete._'

He kneeled down beside her to check her pulse. _'She's still alive.' _His eyes slowly took in the features of her body. _'Average sized chest... or maybe a little below average...long dark hair (waist-length), soft feminine face, nicely built, 5'6" perhaps, between 17-22 years of age… I don't like this. This can't be a coincidence- this woman ending up beside an abandoned warehouse that I just happened to be working in. The whole scenario is just too perfect.' _

L stood up and started to walk away. He had only moved a few feet when he stopped dead in his tracks. He stood with his back turned to her for only a moment. He hesitated, but eventually turned around and walked back over to the girl. He studied her again, trying to make up his mind about something. He pulled a Jolly Rancher out of his pocket._ 'Cherry. That's the only flavor that will do in this sort of situation._' He unwrapped it, shoved it into his mouth, and began peeling his wet shirt off.

He carefully wrapped his shirt around as much of her flesh as the shirt could cover. He paused briefly as he noticed a birthmark on the left side of her abdomen, about the size of a thumbprint. It was only barely visible under the streetlight. _'That's incredibly...unique.'_ As if shaking away the thoughts that followed, L quickly studied his surroundings.

It was still pouring down rain. The wind was howling, and there was no one else within plain view. L slowly picked up the woman so he could move her to a safer and dryer place. As he lifted her, something caught his eye. It appeared to be a long stick-like object. It was too dark to make out exactly what it was. There was no way he could pick it up as long as he had the girl in his arms. He was almost positive the object was connected to the woman somehow.

As quickly as he could, he carried the young woman back inside with him. They were both completely drenched. Watari's mouth almost fell to the floor when he saw what L had in his arms. "L, what… where… is she alive?"

"If she weren't alive, do you really think I would have disturbed an unprocessed crime scene? Please, Watari, dry her off and check her for injuries. I need to go back outside for a moment."

When L returned, he carried the object that he had noticed lying beside the woman. It appeared to be a type of flute. It was wooden and was covered in characters that L was unfamiliar with. Watari had wrapped the young woman in his long coat. "The young lady doesn't appear to have any serious injuries aside from a few scrapes and bruises. Her heartbeat is strong and her breathing is steady. It appears as though she's in an almost drug induced type of sleep."

"I see. Well then, Watari, shall I proceed with the typical formalities of a child asking a parent for permission? We might as well find some amusement in all of this. Let's see…" L's face stayed unreadable; his voice remained monotone. "Daddy, daddy, daddy. Look what I found outside. There's no collar. Can we keep her?" L grinned boyishly and popped another piece of candy into his mouth. "Mmmmm. I'm not sure what to make of this to be honest with you. For now, we should take her back to the hotel so she can recover comfortably."

Watari didn't give L an assuring look. "Don't you think it's a little reckless to lays claims on this woman? She more than likely needs medical attention and it most definitely would not be to your benefit if she found out who you are."

"I found her, so for now, I'm keeping her. I'd like to investigate her before I turn her over to the police. I need to determine if she was _planted_ there for me to find. We will give her the care she needs."

Watari sighed. "If you insist, I will comply with your wishes. Please remember however that this is a human being and not a pet."

"I'm well aware of that."

"Well, then, I will start loading up the equipment. You can go ahead and take her to the car. I'm sure it will be warmer for her in there than it will in here. Here are the keys so you can turn the heater on. I believe there is a blanket in the emergency kit."

"Thank you, Watari. I'm happy to see you're no longer upset with me."

Watari shrugged without another word. He was still upset alright; the girl had only served as a brief distraction from the disappointment he felt towards L and the way he had handled the BB Murders.

L carefully carried the young woman out to the limo and placed her carefully into the back seat. He then looked in the back compartment and found a blanket on top of the emergency kit. He began to wrap the blanket around himself (he was still soaked, shirtless and cold, after all), but quickly stopped himself and studied the girl sitting beside him. She was wrapped in Watari's long coat, but still… he covered her with the blanket instead. _'I must be having a really off day. There's really no other explanation.' _

He sighed and hugged his knees, not pleased with himself for the way he had her positioned_. 'She'll fall in floorboard as soon as Watari taps the breaks.' _L chewed on his nails nervously before making his decision. He carefully guided her to rest against his shoulder and wrapped his arm around her to hold her in place. Only moments ago, L had been freezing. Now he wanted nothing more than to feel that cold open air. Perhaps it would make his cheeks return to their rightful color. _'Yes, there's no getting around it. I really am having an off day."_


	2. Wake Up!

**WakeUp!**

**2.**

'_Disguising potentially lethal moves as little more than a dance; what a clever idea.'_

L was sucking on a strawberry as he watched random online capoeira videos. Naomi Misora had sparked his interest in the fighting style when she mentioned she had avoided an assault in an alley by using capoeira techniques.

He imagined her in a full blown fight, landing blow after powerful blow with her graceful kicks. Perhaps she would be dressed in skin tight pants that outlined every curve of her body as she gracefully took down her enemy. After her initial victory, she would face the boss fighter (who just happened to be the world's greatest detective). Naomi had apparently sparked his interest in other ways as well.

'_Potentially lethal moves… disguised as a beautiful mating dance. It would be a good fight, and of course, I would win. She would be so impressed by my superior fighting skills; that she would give herself to me completely. I would defeat all of her potential suitors without breaking a sweat. All the things we could do...' _

L continued to suck violently on the strawberry as he mapped out the details of what had recently been one of his favorite fantasies. The only problem with that pretty picture? L had never even attempted capoeira. His eyes narrowed as he realized there was actually something that interested him in which he couldn't claim immediate mastery over. He had watched the videos obsessively, yet he still felt like he was lacking the full depth of what he was seeing.

His thoughts were interrupted as Watari opened the door and entered. He was carrying a German chocolate cake, which he had picked up at a local bakery. He looked exhausted. L closed out the capoeira videos and rose to a standing position. "The cake is much appreciated, Watari. What's the word on B's situation?"

"He received third degree burns on 97% of his body. It's a miracle he'll survive."

"And the trial?"

"As of now, the trial is set to take place two months from now. I imagine preparations will soon be made to begin jury selection. I believe they are seeking the death penalty."

"He won't receive the death penalty. Life without parole is more likely."

"What brings you to that conclusion?"

"The nature of B's crimes is unforgivable in the eyes of society. Those responsible for sentencing him will take his present condition into consideration and find it more suitable to sentence him to a long life of living with severe injuries from which he will never fully heal as opposed to sentencing him to death and putting him out of his misery. Such is the true cruelty of human nature. In society's eyes, he gets exactly what he deserves. It isn't enough to simply make sure he's no longer a threat to the living. In reality, the memories of the deceased have only served to awaken hatred and misery among the ones left standing. It's an endless cycle."

He started to continue, but lost his train of thought as an image of his earlier fantasy flashed into his mind. '_I believe this is the first time I've ever fantasized about actually fighting a woman – the pawn that moved before it was her turn… ' _He began to clench his fists through his pockets.

"Do you now regret your decision to not intervene with B's plan?" Watari pinched a raw nerve.

L removed one of his hands from his pockets and proceeded to chew on his thumb nail. "You'll have to forgive me, Watari, but I'm afraid this is something I'm not yet prepared to discuss. Please make arrangements to pay Naomi Misora for her services. Also, make sure B's medical bills are covered as well as his attorney fees and inmate expenses."

"Understood. How is the girl? Has she stirred at all yet?"

"No. She moans in her sleep every so often, but she's yet to open her eyes." L was grateful that Watari had moved on to another subject. His attention turned to the far side of the hotel room where the girl slept soundly on the bed.

"It's been well over 48 hours since you found her and we haven't learned anything about her identity or who put her there. Perhaps it would be better to go ahead and turn her over to the right people."

"You happen to be standing in front of that right person. She stays with me until I learn what I need to know. Have you heard any word from forensics?"

"They only just received her DNA samples this morning."

"Please inform me as soon as they contact you. In fact, contact them first. I shouldn't have to wait this long for something so simple."

Watari gave L a funny look. "You seem a little on edge today, if you don't mind my saying."

"I have nothing to be on edge about. Oh wait, I know what it is. I'm starting to experience withdrawal symptoms from my lack of sugar intake today. How about a piece of that cake now, Watari?"

* * *

"I'm going out for a while, Watari. Do you mind watching over our visitor for a while?"

"I'd be more than happy too."

"It's appreciated. Please make sure there's food and water readily available to her if, and when, she wakes up. Contact me if that does indeed happen."

"Of course."

"Very well then; I shouldn't be very long."

With that, L was out the door. A sudden impulse had given him the desire to pay a visit to a certain someone. It wasn't necessarily because he wanted to see her. The motives he had behind it; however, were many, but none were important. He had yet to reach the elevator when he suddenly stopped. Perhaps on another sudden impulse, L lunged forward and attempted an awkward armada kick. His landing lacked any gracefulness, but he still found the feeling to be something of an adrenaline rush.

As he tried to regain his balance, he noticed a middle-aged woman staring at him from a few feet down the hall. She looked as though she were trying to decide whether it would be better to scream or just turn around and run. She couldn't seem to stop gawking at this very strange looking man who could have just as well escaped from a mental institution.

L lifted his index finger to his bottom lip and displayed a creepy grin. He held the expression for a brief moment before letting it melt into something more serious. "What?" He shrugged. "I had to get that tiny blue man to leave me alone somehow. He's been following me around all morning and, frankly, it was starting to annoy me."

The woman turned and started walking in the other direction as fast as she could. L smirked in amusement and pressed the elevator button.

* * *

L stood at a subway entrance that was only a block or two away from Naomi Misora's residence; hands in pockets, slouched over, and waiting in silence. He had observed her within the few days before he made first contact, so he knew her routine like clockwork. Today was the day Misora was to get her badge and gun back, as she was no longer on suspension. He was sure she would take the subway to get to her office, as she had in the past. As he stood waiting patiently, a sudden thought struck him. _'I wonder what color her eyes are.'_

Surprisingly, he wasn't thinking about Naomi Misora, but instead, the girl who currently slept in his hotel room. _'Where did that come from?' _His thoughts of the girl were interrupted when he noticed Misora approaching the substation. He quickly cleared his mind and watched her from the corner of his eye as she moved closer. She was staring a hole through him, approaching him with caution. _'She thinks I'm B- or a copy of B. She won't be able to pass without stopping. I'm sure of it.'_

Just as he had expected, Naomi Misora could not resist stopping at the entrance to confront the man who looked so familiar to her. "Um, have we…?" He didn't give her a chance to finish. He tried to throw his arms around her. Misora instantly sprung into retaliation. "Huh? No!" She lowered her upper body backward, spinning once in air and raising her back legs, slamming both heels down onto L's shoulders. Both blows hit hard, and the impact knocked him off balance and down the subway stairs.

Misora ran down the stairs after L, who was now lying on his stomach at the bottom of the stairs. "Are you okay?" she asked. L muttered something, seemingly talking to himself.

"I see. Watching videos and seeing it for real is quite different, but now I think I understand."

"Huh? Um… can you stand?" She reached out toward him.

"Thank you," he said, and took her hand.

"Are you injured? Does it hurt anywhere?"

"I'm fine, thank you." He didn't let go of her hand right away. "You are very kind." He at last let go of her hand and began to stroll away as though nothing had happened. There was no way Misora could allow this.

"Ah… w-wait! Just a second!" She circled around in front of him. "If you aren't hurt, then you'll have to come with me. Sexual assault is a serious crime. You can't go around throwing your arms around women. What were you thinking?"

"…"

"Don't just stand there. Say something. This attitude won't make things easier for you. What's your name?"

L was sucking his thumb, but he didn't look nervous. He nodded.

"Please, call me Ryuzaki."

Naomi Misora could no longer find any words. She simply stood there and gawked at him. Trying to regain her composure, she finally fumbled out a sentence. "Just… go! Leave now! This… never happened!"

"It was nice meeting you." He looked completely unperturbed.

She didn't reply. She turned and quickly disappeared into the crowd. And just like that, L's personal encounter with Naomi Misora was over.

* * *

"She's still asleep?" L's concern for the girl was growing_. 'Is it possible for a human being to sleep that long without waking even once? She's not in a coma… or maybe…'_

"She's moving around in her sleep every now and then, but that's as far as she'll go. I'm beginning to worry that she may be dehydrated. If that's the case, then we need to somehow make arrangements to move her to a facility where an IV can be administered."

"That won't be necessary, Watari. We can administer an IV right here."

"But we don't have…"

"We _**do**_ have the proper materials to give her an IV. I picked up the required equipment and accessories while I was out in case this happened. I only hate I didn't arrange it sooner."

"… But… how?"

"It's nice to have connections isn't it?"

"I suppose it's also nice to be skillful enough to steal such a thing without getting caught."

L grinned slyly. "Did I mention Wedy was still in the area?"

"And this equipment would currently be where?"

"Two separate suitcases –rather large ones. I told the bellboy to leave them outside the door. In fact, he should be here right about…"

_*knock, knock*_

L grinned. "Could the timing have been anymore perfect?"

"I really think we should just take the girl to the…"

"No."

With a loud sigh, Watari opened the door and retrieved the suitcases. After checking to make sure he had everything he needed and assembling the equipment, he began making preparations to administer the IV.

"Do you know how to do this, Watari?

"I acquired basic nursing skills during my time in the military. My skills are just that of course – very basic. Shots and IV's were probably the most advanced thing I learned. My main area of expertise was in weapons development. I have to ask you though, what would you have done if I had said I didn't know how to do this?

"I never had any doubt that you could. I only asked because I thought a little conversation would ease the tension."

"Right."

The girl jerked as the IV entered her vein. Watari gently stroked the palm of her hand to calm her. "She's reaching the lighter stages of sleep now. It shouldn't be long now at all."

"Were you able to learn anything from the lab?"

"It's only a little past three in the afternoon. As I told you earlier, the blood samples only arrived this morning. I know you're eager, but you'll just have to display a little more patience. You know that a request made to any forensics lab by L will be on top of the priority list."

"I understand, Watari. Forgive my impatience. Perhaps I need a cup of tea to calm my edginess."

"I hate to pry, but is there something bothering you?"

L played with his bottom lip for a moment. He seemed almost reluctant to answer. "Do you realize I've felt more emotions in the past 28 hours than I've had to endure in a decade's time?"

"Is it really so bad to be human? That is what you are, after all."

"Watari, I'm not feeling my 100% at the moment. I fell down a stairway today and I'm very sore. I believe it would be best for me to try and rest."

"You fell down a stairway? Dare I even ask?"

"Please don't."

"Very well then. At any rate, I'm afraid I must take my leave now. There are a few personal matters I need to attend to while we're in between cases."

"That's right. The Carrington orphanage is on the other side of town isn't it? Are you planning a visit? Please don't tell them I said '_Hello_'"

"I'll make sure and forget to mention it. Is there anything else I can get for you before I leave?"

"Not at all. Thank you again for the cake, Watari."

After Watari took his leave, L poured himself a cup of tea. He dropped 6 sugar cubes into his cup and proceeded to eat three more. He felt as though he had just... fallen down a flight of stairs. '_I understand it now. In fact, I literally feel it. I must learn that dance.'_

He pulled the curtain to block out the afternoon light and then perched on a chair he had placed by the bed. He watched the fluid in the bag drip down into the IV as he slowly sipped his tea. It was enough to make him drowsy, but his racing mind tried to fight it off.

L turned his attention away from the fluid bag and focused on the strange flute sitting on the bedside table. It was a bamboo flute with several images burned into it. They consisted of strange geometrical shapes with lines either drawn through or surrounding them. They were all connected by what looked like a complex spider's web. _'It appears to be a __ryūtek_i_, but those images… I've failed to find anything even remotely similar to them in Eastern culture... or any culture, for that matter. Then there's the webbing pattern. I've never seen ____pyrography done with such precision and detail__.'_

His eyes moved over to the girl. Her hair was dark brown in color with hints of auburn. It curled up into many long ringlets. Her skin was fair and pale. _'She's like a porcelain doll.'_ Though she was currently sleeping peacefully, the expression she wore on her face was that of a grief stricken frown. _'She appears so… sad.'_ L found himself battling the urge to touch her. He wasn't accostomed to being alone with a female (even if that female wasn't actually awake and animated). He briefly battled an urge that had every so often nagged at him since puberty. Naomi Misora had fully awakened it, and now the sleeping stranger was preventing that urge from falling dormant again. He bit the inside of his bottom lip and relaxed into his chair, hugging his knees. As he continued to study her, he felt his mind slowly calming. _'My… melancholy… porcelain…'_ He had drifted into sleep before he could finish the thought.

"_Listen, Mommy! It's raining outside!"_

"_That's right, Adian. Doesn't it sound peaceful? You'll sleep well tonight."_

"_Maybe I'll dream about the rain people!"_

"_I bet you will! Goodnight, baby. I love you."_

"_Love you too, Mommy!"_

"_Mommy, I'm still tired. Where is daddy taking us? I want to go back to bed!"_

"_It'll be okay, baby. Daddy's just a little angry right now."_

"_Mommy, why are you crying?"_

_*ding*_

"_You fucking whore! Get down on your fucking knees and ask him for forgiveness!"_

"_No! God, please don't do this! God, help me!"_

_*ding*_

"_No! Don't hurt Mommy!"_

_*ding*_

"_Shut the fuck up you little bastard! You're not even mine!"_

_*ding*_

"_Stop it! She's bleeding! No! You're hurting her! Mommy!"_

_*ding*_

"_I'm sending you back the fuck where you came from!"_

_*ding*_

'_No…Mommy… it's… so cold…'_

_*ding*_

"_This is it L. You'll be staying here for a while."_

"_It's next to a cathedral, Mr. Wammy; a cathedral that has bells. I don't want to stay here."_

_*ding*_

"_Please, I beg of you to stop those bells! I don't want to stay here!"_

"_I don't feel anything. In fact, I never want to feel anything again."_

'_Who… is that? It's… B… Someone put the fire out! He's in pain! I didn't stop it!'_

"_That's right, L! You let me light the match, brother."_

L jolted out of his chair, turning it over in the process. He was covered in sweat, and trying desperately to catch his breath_. 'I despise sleeping! I wish I could do away with the need completely!' _He managed to gain his composure and picked up the chair to set it in its original position.

His eyes caught the bedside table. The flute was gone. The food that Watari had left had been reduced to mere crumbs. The bottle that once held water was empty. The bed was empty. The girl was gone. Her IV had been pulled out (or perhaps yanked out). There were traces of blood on the bed sheets. L began to panic as his eyes scanned franticly around the room. His ears then tuned in to a faint sound. _'It sounds like… yes, it is! She's awake!"_


	3. Awake

**Disclamer: I do not own Death Note. Death Note is the property of Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata.****

* * *

**

**Awake!**

**3.**

A wave of excitement flooded him as his ears tried to pinpoint where the song was coming from. L felt like a little kid who had been impatiently awaiting a surprise upon his parents' return home. He could actually picture himself almost knocking Watari down to see what the surprise was. _'What did you bring me, Daddy? Let me see! Let me see!'_ His anticipation had built up far beyond that. He caught himself pacing back and forth as a reaction to the sheer intensity of it all.

The song sounded slightly muffled; like he was hearing it through a glass jar. '_There's only one place it could be coming from really_.' His eyes focused on the sliding glass door that led out to the balcony. The curtain was pulled and the door was obviously closed, but it was without a doubt the only thing that was separating the now overly anxious L from the melodic sound.

L could have bolted to the sliding glass door, but he suddenly decided against it. Instead, he stood stiffly in the middle of the room as he allowed his eyes to close. He forced the music out of his thoughts so he could recover his more familiar "L- like" composure. _'Careful…careful…'_

He shoved his hands in his pockets and opened his eyes. With a deep breath, he slowly strolled over to the door, determined not to let his excitement get the better of him. He peeked out of the curtain first. She was out there alright. She had her back to him, watching the sun set as she played the odd looking flute. Her long ringlets of auburn brown hair danced in the breeze. She was wearing a pair of his jeans (which were a little too long for her) and a white shirt that hid what little chest development she had.

L studied her from behind the glass for a moment and then let the curtain fall back into place. He stared down at the floor, trying to decide what his next move should be. _'Why am I so nervous? I never get nervous. This isn't me at all. It's completely ridiculous.'_ He purposely bit down hard on his index finger. He had hoped the sudden sharp pain would force his present emotions back behind the invisible wall that he had spent years building around himself.

When he felt he was finally ready, he pulled back the curtain and opened the door_. 'I shouldn't be nervous at all. I'll dissect her mind piece by piece. This should be all too easy.'_ He appeared as emotionless and unanimated as ever as he strolled outside and perched on one of the outside chairs. She never even noticed he was there. He watched her intently as she played her song. It sounded almost ghostly as the low pitches blended in with the breeze. Speaking of the breeze, it was quite strong today.

The song played as a tragic ballad. L couldn't help but fall into a half trance as the notes were played. He suddenly pictured himself standing on a grassy hill with nothing but endless fields surrounding him. There were no roads or trails to guide him and there were no objects in the distance to pursue. There was no right direction or particular destination. He was just… there…. yet, on a journey.

He started to lose himself in his vision as the breeze touched his face. And then, the flute went silent. He opened his eyes and saw that she was now simply standing there, her back still facing him. L brought his thumb to his mouth and waited. His eyes narrowed as his eyes caught site of the fresh blood on her hand. She had apparently removed her IV rather violently. _'That needs immediate attention.' _

L ran his tongue across the back of his bottom teeth, all the while chewing on his thumb nail. He glanced at the door he had left open from the corner of his eye and reached a hand over to shut it. He tried to shut it as loudly and abruptly as possible; and his trick apparently worked. She turned around to face him when she heard the door close. L sat in silence as he studied her face. His expression was unreadable. He offered her no words. _'Golden eyes… golden yellow eyes- hazel, to be more precise.'_

His silent stare and complete lack of an introduction would have unnerved most people, but this girl that stood in front of him looked completely unperturbed by the wild haired and wide eyed young man who would not take his eyes off of her. She tilted her head slightly and acknowledged his presence for only a brief moment. She then walked right past him and went inside without saying a single word, closing the door behind her. L didn't move from his chair. His thumb slowly left his mouth. He raised an eyebrow in bewilderment. _'Did she just completely shrug me off?'_

Determined not to let a mere female beat him at one of his best games, he left his chair and walked inside, closing the sliding glass door and curtain behind him. She didn't appear to notice him enter. She was too busy flipping through L's book of Nietzsche philosophy, her eyes darting back and forth rapidly as though she were speed reading. L was getting annoyed. It took everything in him not to wave his arms in the air and yell _"Bloody hell, I'm over here! Acknowledge me at once!" _His eyes narrowed as he looked at her, but he still refused to speak the first words. _'There's no chance I'm letting her win this game.'_

Completely stuck in his nonchalant demeanor, L walked lazily over to one of the chairs that sat across from the couch she was sitting on. There was a coffee table filling the space between them. A bowl of Jolly Ranchers rested in the middle. L eyed them for a moment and considered a flavor to fit his current mood. He decided sour apple would be the best choice and quickly plucked a few from the bowl. He crinkled the wrappers as much as he could as he unwrapped them. Her eyes never left the book.

L could feel his bottom lip starting to poke out, so he proceeded to chew on it to save himself the shame of pouting. He sat in front of her for nearly 20 minutes; fighting most of his urges to blink. He was staring a hole through her, growing more and more agitated with every second that passed_. 'This is just unheard of. I go outside and people gawk at me. I stick out in society like a sore thumb. I have the power to maneuver every law enforcement agency in the world. When I speak in my synthetic voice, the entire facility is at full attention. L is not one to be ignored. Not as the world's greatest detective and not as the stranger who breaks almost every cultural norm. This girl… she's just... just…'_

She suddenly shifted in her seat. L tightened his grip on his knee in anticipation. He waited for a glance in his direction- just one tiny little glance. Not one passed his way. She shifted once more, laid back to get comfortable, and turned the page of her book. L rested his head on his knees and glared at her. _'I don't like you.'_

He sat and watched her for 10 minutes more and then had an idea. _'She's cheating. She is using that book as a distraction so she doesn't have to face me. I bet she doesn't even know what she's reading. She's just playing dirty. I really don't like her. The very nerve of it all; but I can play dirty too.'_

He got up and strolled over to the kitchen area. It was tea time. He made enough noise to wake the dead as he prepared the kettle. He slammed the cabinet doors and sat things down on the counter with loud thuds. He glanced over towards the lounge area to see if she looked even a little annoyed. Nothing. Not one grimace of irritation.

L bit his nails violently. His breathing was picking up its pace in irregular patterns. _'I can play this game. I'm a master at this game. I wrote the rule book for this game. This is MY game!' _All of these thoughts ran through his mind like a typhoon; yet he still managed to stay calm and collected… mostly. The kettle started whistling. He didn't touch it. He intended to let it stay there until it boiled over.

He looked over at her and smirked. She didn't look up at him, but she did get up. Carrying her open book with her, she walked into the kitchen area, passed L without a glance, and removed the tea kettle from the stove. Without a word, she buried her nose back into her book and walked back over to the couch. _'Perhaps she will trip over something.'_

L avoided letting out a sigh of frustration and placed a tea cup on the tray with a bowl of sugar cubes, tea bag and a spoon. _'I refuse to put a cup on the tray for her. No cup, no tea bags, no spoon… she's defiantly not getting any of my sugar. If she wants something, she will have to ask me for it. She will have to talk to me. She will most _definitely_… proceed to walk in here and get it herself… without a word.'_ He could feel his fist tighten by his side.

'_I'm not going to doing it. She can get it herself. It's not like I'm her maid. She should be getting tea for me._' He poured the water from the kettle into the teapot and picked up the tray. He was almost out of the kitchen area when he stopped. He stood for a moment in hesitation. He turned around and headed back towards the counter. He stopped only inches away from it. _'No._' He didn't put the tray down. Instead, he turned around to face the lounge area again. Four steps forward… stop. _'No._' He stood there and pouted. The girl on the couch was still reading. She didn't notice him stepping back and forth as he battled his indecisiveness. She didn't care that he was there at all.

L was battling with the manners that Watari had apparently drilled into his head (at least that was his excuse). To blame his indecisiveness on something as irrelevant as having a conscious… there was no way that would ever happen. He rolled his eyes and sat the tray back on the counter. One extra cup, spoon and tea bag later, L had assumed his perched position on his chair. He didn't openly offer her any tea; he just left it readily available beside her in case she happened to notice. _'Watari will be so proud.'_

He dropped seven cubes of sugar into his tea like tiny bombs being dropped from a plane. Tea was splattering everywhere, but L was sure there had to be something that would catch her attention. He stirred his tea vigorously. The sound of the spoon clanking so loudly against the glass was enough to annoy even him; but the girl did not budge. She stayed glued to the book. L was starting to feel defeated. _'Seriously, it isn't that great of a book. It's not like it even mentions __Nietzsche's__ theory of eternal return. It barely even covers will to power.'_

It had been over an hour and a half by the time the first words were finally spoken. L had passed the pouting stage and was now just lost in his own thoughts. He drew his cup to his lips and slurped a sip of his sugary tea. As if right on cue, the girl spoke without ever looking away from the book.

"Are we lovers?"

The words came out like a sweet melody. Too bad the lyrics caught L completely off guard. He apparently choked on his tea because he was now coughing the entire chorus. She looked up with concern. "Hey, are you alright?" She finally put the book down and started to get up to assist him. Still coughing, he held up his hand in protest. She settled back down on the couch and slid him a napkin across the table.

L finished coughing tea out of his windpipe and graciously took the napkin. "Thank you." He actually said it sincerely. "The answer is no. We do not share intimacy of any kind. Why do you ask?"

"I just thought it was probable since these clothes I'm wearing are obviously yours. Isn't that what lovers do? Share personal belongings and what not? Besides, only a couple could remain completely silent for such a long period of time in each other's company and not feel uncomfortable. Wouldn't you agree?

"Not really." He felt as though he had just awakened from a long hypnotic trance. It was then he remembered something important. "If I was indeed your significant other, I would have cared enough to tend to the injury on your hand the moment I noticed it. I instead choose to sit around for almost two hours and study you. For what it's worth, it is on my to-do list. I suppose now would be the appropriate time."

"Oh yeah, that. It didn't feel too good when I yanked it out in my sleep. That's what woke me up, actually. I'm really surprised you didn't hear me cry out. I guess you were too lost in your own dreams. What's up with the IV anyway? Am I sick or something?"

He still appeared a little shaken, but he managed to motion her towards the bathroom so he could tend to her wound. "You've been asleep for quite some time. I was afraid you were dehydrated, so I made a few phone calls and followed the necessary medical advice."

"Oh. So… are we related somehow?"

"No."

"Then how do I know you, exactly?"

L sighed. He didn't like where any of this was going. _'Who is this woman? I haven't felt anything like myself since she's awakened; and for the first time in my adult life, I completely lost my composure. How could that possibly happen? At the very least, she finally spoke. That, of course, means I won the game.' _A quick smirk of triumph flashed across his face and left just as quickly. He now had a clear idea of what he was dealing with.

They were both in the bathroom now. L retrieved a first aid kit from a small compartment in the wall while the girl gently washed her hand in the sink. She winced as the warm water made contact with the wound. "You haven't answered my question yet."

He dodged it immediately. "It would seem you are suffering from retrograde amnesia. Am I making an accurate assumption?"

"You can ask questions, but you can't answer them? That irks me."

'_Not as much as you irk me.' _L opened the first aid kit and pulled out a pair of latex gloves. "Do you have any memory at all?" He pulled the gloves over his hands and started dabbing her wound with a cotton swab drenched in antiseptic.

"Ouch! That hurts, damn it!" She jerked her hand away from him.

"It will only hurt for a brief moment. Please return your hand so that I may finish. I do not wish to wear these gloves for any longer than I have too. I hate gloves almost as much as I hate socks."

"Then why even wear them? Do I have a disease?"

"I wouldn't know, honestly."

She hesitated, but surrendered her hand. She couldn't help but jump everytime he touched it. L studied the injury as he worked on it. _'That's going to leave a nasty scar. I shouldn't have waited so long to tend to this.' _There was an awkward silence as he wrapped a bandage around her hand. Neither one of them had answered the other's question.

He secured the bandage and peeled the gloves off of his hands. He held them between his thumb and index finger as if they were contaminated. "This isn't the best place to discuss the issues that must be addressed. Would you care to join me in the living area? Perhaps you're hungry? I have no objections to ordering room service if you'd like." He tossed the gloves into the wastebasket and shoved his hands into his pockets. His face wore no emotion.

"A hotel room? It looks more like an apartment."

"Yes, I suppose it does. At any rate, shall we?" He took a step back and made a gesture towards the bathroom door. She obliged and walked back to the couch. L returned to his perch in the chair across from her. He plucked a grape Jolly Rancher from the candy dish and slid the dish across the table towards the girl. "Please, have one."

"Thank you." She selected a watermelon piece. When she tasted it, her eyes lit up. "Mmmm. This is really good! What do you call it?"

"If you'll direct your attention to the discarded candy wrapper, you will notice it reads _Jolly Rancher_. Right under it, you'll see the word _Watermelon_."

She twitched her eye slightly as it sank in that he had just insulted her intelligence. "Oh, right. May I have another one?"

"I suppose. Please, help yourself." He was hoping that was the last piece she asked for. L was feeling stingy. "Are you interested in the room service offer? I believe there is a menu in the drawer of the night stand."

"Sure, I'll take room service." She popped a red Jolly Rancher into her mouth and made a sour face. "This one isn't watermelon."

"No, I'm afraid that's a cherry." He smiled slightly without realizing it. He rose from his chair and retrieved the room service menu as she continued to inhale his Jolly Ranchers. She avoided all of the cherry pieces. L silently mourned every piece that fell prey to her hunger. He was relieved when she finally stopped to look at the menu.

Though she didn't ask for it, he poured her a cup of tea before refilling his own. He dropped in his usual amount of sugar cubes as he began to speak. "Before we begin, I would feel more comfortable if I knew a name to address you by."

She looked up from the menu and thought for a moment. "Then I suppose you'll have to give me a name for now until I can recall my real one."

He eyed her suspiciously. "You're asking me to do it? Do you assume I'm some sort of master at pitching alias's? I've never even named a pet. My creativity is quite bland. If you have no memory of your identity whatsoever, then you should at the very least amuse yourself by picking your own name. That's what any normal person would do, assuming that you are in fact normal."

"Umm. Okay. Very well then; how about…" Her eyes scanned the room until they landed on the book she had been reading. "Nietzsche!"

L blinked twice, but maintained his blank expression as he sipped his tea. "Try again."

"What's wrong with it? It's a name isn't it?" She poked her bottom lip out.

"It is indeed a name, but it's painfully obvious that it's an alias. Can you not think of anything else?"

She reached for another Jolly Rancher as she thought of another name, only to find a candy dish shielded by L's hand. He wasn't willing to share anymore of his candy. He pulled the dish towards him and cradled it in his arm like a stingy child. The girl arched an eyebrow in response.

"Sorry." Her attention returned to the room service menu. "I don't know. I'm too hungry to be creative. I guess I'll go for a plain-Jane name… _Jane_. That's what I'll call myself, I guess. I've got nothing better." She shrugged. "Hey, how about the Italian sub? That's what I'd like to try."

"The phone that connects to the hotel staff is located on the left side of television. Please make sure and tell them to knock and leave it outside the door."

As she phoned room service to place her order, L ran the name she had picked out through his head. A small frown formed on his face. _Jane_ Doe was a name he had to hear several times a day, for countless numbers of unidentified murder victims. He wasn't satisfied with it at all. She was much more than another _Jane Doe_.

It would have been a good name if it were one she identified with, but that clearly wasn't the case. She had picked it out of laziness. He thought about what Watari had told him the night he had found her at the warehouse. "_Please remember that this is a human being and not a pet."_ The frown on his face grew. '_If I do in fact assign her a name, will I be treating her as a pet?'_

When she was finished placing her order, she returned to her spot on the couch. L put down his tea cup and chewed on his thumbnail. "Rain."

She looked puzzled. "Rain? What about it?"

"I found you in the rain. Therefore, I think it only fitting that I call you such. Let's add a silent 'e' to the end of it. It makes it a name and not an element of nature. In fact, now that I think of it, there could be no other name for you."

"Why is that?"

He wasn't willing to offer an answer. "Please forgive me, Raine, but I'm not accustomed to all of the small talk. We've stalled long enough. Right now, I need you to focus all of your concentration on my questions. I will then be more than happy to answer any questions that I'm sure you probably have."

"Geez, this sort of sounds like an interrogation. You can't be a police officer. You're not groomed for it. And I really like the name _Raine_. You're more creative than you give yourself credit for. Thank you."

L smiled at her slightly. "Do you remember anything at all before you woke up here?"

There was a long period of silence as Raine tried to recall a memory. "Well, I was walking down a path that was lined with lots of trees. Perhaps I was in a forest. It was dark and I was carrying a light of some sort. I'm not sure where I was going, but the path seemed endless. Wait… perhaps that was a dream. Yes, I'm pretty sure that's what it was. Sorry, but that's all I've got."

"The flute you were playing earlier, what's the significance? I'm interested to know what the symbols mean and why it was the only possession you were found with."

"It's a wonderful flute isn't it? I can't remember off hand what the symbols mean, but I know that it's something of importance."

"I find that very odd. If they hold so much importance then why can you not recall what they mean?"

Raine glared at him. "I don't know. I only know that it's very precious to me."

"The song you were playing earlier; do you recall where you learned it? Do you recall how you even came to possess the instrument?"

"The song was something I just seemed to know. Once I started playing, the melody flowed out as smooth as water. It reminds me of an endless journey. As for where I got the flute, I do not recall. I only know it's mine and I never care to part with it."

"Do you know where you are?"

"I'm in your hotel room."

"I'm referring to geographical location."

She gave it some thought. "No, I'm afraid I don't."

"Do you have any idea where you might be from?"

"No."

"Do you know today's date?"

"Not a clue."

"Are you experiencing any headaches?"

"No."

There was a knock at the door. L glanced at the door. "That must be room service. Before I answer it, I have one more question. When you leave here, where is it you intend to go?"

"I haven't even thought about it. I guess I don't really have anywhere to go. I'll make do, I suppose. I feel a need to go wherever the wind carries me."

"I see." He left it at that and stood to go to the door. The rolling tray had been left outside just as requested. L rolled the tray over to Raine and walked over to the counter in the kitchen area. He grabbed a fork and what was left of the German chocolate cake and returned to his chair. Raine studied him as he ate the cake straight out of the box. "Shouldn't you get a plate for that?"

"Mmmm… No, it's not necessary. The cake is mine and mine alone. There's no need to divide it into pieces. I'm done with my questions for the time being if you care to ask any of your own."

L's cell phone suddenly rang. He pulled it out of his pocket and held it between his thumb and index figure. "Yes?"

"I have the results of the girl's lab work." It was Watari. "Her DNA doesn't match anyone in any of the available data bases and no one fitting her description has been reported missing anywhere on the continent."

"I see. Thank you, Watari. If at all possible, I would like to discuss something with you in person at your next earliest convenience."

"Of course; I will be there in half an hour. Is the girl still sleeping?"

"No."

"Has she not offered you any information about who she is?"

"I'm afraid not."

"Should I wait until you're not with her to ask the questions?"

"Yes, please."

"I understand. I'll be right there."

"Thank you."

He ended the call and took a large bite of cake. "Excuse the interruption, Raine. Mmmm… as I was saying; if there's anything you would like to ask me, now would be the time to do it."

"Ok, I think I'll go back to my last question that you never answered. Who are you? Are you just a random stranger who … did you say you found me in the rain? I was just laying somewhere out in the open, unconscious?"

"I am indeed a random stranger who found you in the rain next to a warehouse. There's no need to go into any further detail really. My name is Ryuzaki. My father and I operate our family owned business. He's a civil engineer. He deals with the design, construction and upkeep of building and bridge infrastructures. The old warehouse you were found beside just happened to be one we were surveying."

"So you're also a civil engineer then?"

L smiled. "No. I'm more of a forensics engineer. I survey faulty infrastructures that can potentially cause harm to people- like a faulty bridge, for example. Our work requires us to travel a lot."

"Well, that explains the hotel. So, why am I wearing your clothes?"

"Mmm. Well, to be honest, I wasn't comfortable with the idea of a nude woman sleeping in my room. It would have been far too distracting."

"Wait, you're saying I don't have my own clothes? That means you found me…"

"Correct."

Raine blushed several different shades of red. "Why didn't you just call the police and an ambulance when you found me? I could have been seriously injured and laying in the middle of a crime scene. They could have cared for me and helped me recover my identity. Why try and play hero… unless you're a pervert who couldn't resist taking in a nude female in hopes of getting lucky."

He grinned from ear to ear. "You are a sharp one, aren't you?"

She tensed up, but maintained her calm demeanor. "So you _are_ just a sick pervert…no, you couldn't be. It would have been obvious to me a long time ago."

"Would it? How do you figure?"

"If having your way with me was your original intention, then you wouldn't have had such an animated reaction when I asked you if we were lovers. It caught you completely off guard. I know that because it's the only emotion I've seen from you so far. It would have been easier for you to just lie and say that we were lovers if your mind had actually been in the gutter at that moment. I have to say though; your reaction also suggested to me that your thoughts of me aren't completely neutral. Perhaps there is some sort of attraction, you're just unsure of it. Maybe subconsciously, you're sexually frustrated, which is why you felt inclined to take in a nude woman. I don't know. You seem harmless enough." She shrugged.

"Impressive reasoning… and said with such articulation. You appear to be well educated. Where did you attend school?"

"Now how would I know where… wait, you're testing me aren't you? Do you think I'm lying about my memory loss? Why would I do that? Something doesn't seem right about any of this."

"Good, I'm glad we're in agreement."

"Despite your initial observations, are you not you even a _little_ nervous that your in a stranger's hotel room and you have no idea who you are?"

"You haven't tried to hurt me yet. You don't look very strong either. I bet I could take you down. You look too sleep deprived to even effectively defend yourself."

After all of the irritation that L had felt that evening as a result of her waking up; her last comment made him glare at her without even realizing it. There was a knock on the door before it opened. Watari stepped in and politely nodded to Raine in greeting. Raine smiled at him. "You must be Ryuzaki's father. It's wonderful to meet you!"

Watari hesitated for a moment. He had no idea what was going on. "Y-yes, the pleasure is all mine, my dear. I'm glad to find you awake and well."

"Thank you for taking me in. Your son has been very hospitable."

Before Watari could reply, L was up and standing in front of him. "Dad, do you think I could have a quick word with you in private?"

Watari almost jumped. L had never referred to him as _dad_ so casually before. A smiled crossed his face, though he knew L wasn't being sincere. "Of course. Shall we step outside?"

"Yes, the balcony will be fine. Please excuse us for a moment, Raine." L pulled the curtain back as far as it would go so that he could keep an eye on Raine while he was outside. The wind had died down and there was a tiny drizzle of rain falling. Watari barely waited until L had slid the door closed before he spoke. "Raine? Is that the girl's name? Her identity has been established then?"

L shoved his hands in his pockets. "No. No, Watari. She is suffering from retrograde amnesia. _Raine_ is the name that I gave her. She has no idea who she is or how she ended up by that warehouse. I've told her that you and I are father and son engineers for the time being. I'm not satisfied with the lack of information, Watari. If she isn't in the criminal or missing person databases, then perhaps we should arrange a search for dental records."

"With all due respect, I think we should release her to the proper authorities as we should have done to begin with. Need I remind you that we have an early morning flight out of the state tomorrow? We need to start making arrangements to see her to the police station or a shelter as soon as possible."

"I'm afraid I can't do that."

"Why on earth not? How long do you think she'll believe your engineering story? I'm sorry, but you haven't made one reasonable decision since you've arrived in Los Angeles. It isn't like you at all. You've been acting like a reckless adolescent and I think it's time I stepped in. I'd also like to recommend that you take a holiday. You're obviously overworking yourself."

L glared at Watari hard. "I found her and I won't allow you to take her. She is my responsibility."

"You have no reason to keep her."

"And you have no reason to question my decisions. She will board that plane with me tomorrow. Now if we're finished here, I would like to request that you contact the airline and adjust the seating arrangements accordingly."

"And what does she think of this? Perhaps she doesn't wish to go with you. Have you even thought of that? You're acting like you've marked her as your personal territory."

L turned and directed his attention to the night sky. 'Watari, Please try to understand. In every system, there are those who are sinister predators, hiding in the shadow of a good cause. You should know that all too well by now. If I take her to the authorities, I'm risking her safety. She's a fairly attractive (yet highly annoying) young woman who has no memories or known identity and that makes her perfect prey for a crooked cop. One could make thousands selling her off to the black market as a sexual slave. We have dealt with those kind of cases before. I can offer her no better protection than insisting that she stay with me until all of the pieces fall into place. I certainly can't afford another guilt right now."

"I… see. Well then, if you're sure this is the best decision, then you have my support. I'll adjust the flight arrangements immediately. The girl aside, however, please take into consideration my suggestion about taking a holiday. You're long overdue."

"I couldn't agree with you more, Watari. I will use our next destination as such. Is Aiber still in the area?"

"As far as I know, he's here on business until next week."

"Highly convenient. I'll have Aiber pose as a police lieutenant and explain to Raine that she is under an official protection program until her identity is recovered. I will then have him convince her that the safest thing to do would be to accompany me on my travels. I'll contact him now as long as I'm out here."

Raine had returned to reading L's Nietzsche book by the time L and Watari had walked back inside. L put his plan into action almost immediately. "Raine, concerning your situation; I didn't mention this earlier, but my father has been keeping in contact with the police in hopes of connecting you to a missing person. There will be a lieutenant here within the next hour to ask you a few questions and discuss what your options are."

"Thank you so much for your help, Ryuzaki! You're a saint!"

"Not even close, I'm afraid."

Raine smiled brightly at him, which caused L to slightly lick the thumb he currently had in his mouth. She turned to Watari. "Thank you as well, Sir! I really can't even begin to thank you enough!"

"You're quite welcome, my dear; and please, call me Watari."

Just as planned, Aiber was knocking on the door a little over an hour later. He flashed a fake police badge and put his con artist skills into full play. His acting was flawless.

"Miss, I'm afraid your description isn't matching up with any of our missing person reports in the western region. This case is still under investigation of course, but until then, we think it would be best to place you in a protection program. The Whitman's here have volunteered to let you stay with them until we figure this entire thing out, but we also have a shelter for battered women that you may stay at if you would like." Aiber flashed his charming smile at Raine. She was all too easy to manipulate. In fact, she seemed so naïve and gullible; L suddenly didn't find it surprising that he had found her in the condition she was in.

Raine looked over at L, who was biting his nails nervously. "Watari, Ryuzaki, is it really okay if I stay with you for a while? A battered women's shelter sounds a little depressing; and the two of you seem to be good people from what I've seen so far."

L let out a silent sigh of relief. "As long as you don't mind traveling around the world from time to time; our occupation keeps father and I quite busy."

"I can travel with you under this protection program?"

L bit gently on the tip of his tongue. She was starting to ask too many questions. He looked at Aiber in hopes of help. Aiber smirked and nodded.

"Miss Raine, you're in a protection program, not on probation. You're free to travel anywhere you want. You will have a temporary id and passport issued to you for traveling and protection services."

"Oh, okay then! Great!" She apparently bought it. "Ryuzaki?"

"Yes?"

"Ryuzaki Whitman. That sounds sort of strange together. A Japanese name with an English surname. Was your mother Japanese?"

L frowned. "She was half Japanese."

She seemed satisfied with his answer. Aiber finished up his performance and prepared to leave. L walked with him to the door. "Thank you for everything, Aiber." He spoke quietly.

Aiber grinned as he walked out the door. "Not at all, buddy. Good luck with her. It looks like you're going to need it with _your_ social skills."

"Could you be any more encouraging?"


	4. Mallrats

Disclaimer: I Do not Own Death Note.

**

* * *

**

**Mallrats**

**4.**

"I see no reason why I should be the one who accompanies her on her shopping spree."

"I'm sorry, but I'm afraid I have some important matters to attend to at the Bratton orphanage. One of the children set the west building on fire a week ago and I need to be present to speak with the insurance representative this afternoon so the necessary repairs can get underway. Were you not going out for beignets anyway?"

"Yes, but that's my personal time. I'd rather not play chaperone. Can you not just take her this evening when you return from your personal affairs?"

"You're trying to get rid of the two of us so you can work on more cases aren't you? Did we not agree that this is your holiday?"

L played with his bottom lip as he attempted to make a hurtful expression. "Me? I wouldn't dream of it."

"Miss Raine needs her own clothes and personal items. My day is full, so I can't take her. You, on the other hand, have nothing better to do but sit around and eat beignets. Make the most of your time off and spend a little time outside with the rest of the world. Enjoy life, for once."

"Forgive me if I'm not particularly keen on the idea of being dragged around a mall by a female who will more than likely make me carry all of her bags. I'd hardly call that a vacation. I'd call that a man's worse nightmare."

"I could think of several things that would be far harder on a man than carrying around a few shopping bags."

"Enlighten me."

Watari frowned. His patience was running thin from listening to L's whining. "Let's see, one would be the inability to keep his lover satisfied intimately; and the most terrifying nightmare I could possibly think of for a man would be for him to wake up one morning to find his genitalia missing."

L squinted slightly at the image Watari had just planted into his mind. He sighed heavily as he chewed on his thumb. Watari was the one and only person in the world who could have the last word with L.

"I won't forgive you if I get sprayed with perfume samples."

"Sounds reasonable enough. I wish you luck with this new… responsibility that you've so stubbornly taken upon yourself. Please try and be kind to her today. She seems like a very nice young lady. Perhaps you should take her to the French Quarter. It shouldn't be too hard for you to keep her entertained there."

L was now staring at the floor; both hands shoved in his pockets. "I suppose I have no other choice but to try and make the best of it. I only wish she would get out of the bathroom so we can get this over with. She's been in there for over an hour and I only recently consumed nearly an entire pot of coffee. What a rotten start."

"Welcome to the world of women. Well then, I suppose I will see the two of you later this evening. Do try and behave yourself!"

"I assure you I will spoil her as though she were royalty."

Watari mumbled to himself as he walked out the door. "That isn't what worries me."

* * *

"Where should we go first, Ryuzaki? Do you know your way around New Orleans very well?"

"I suppose I know enough. I highly doubt a drug store and mall will be difficult to find. Such places are, after all, part of the backbone of modern day society."

As L looked up local shopping malls on his laptop, Raine rolled up the jeans that L had let her borrow. "It'll be nice to own a pair of pants that I won't trip over all of the time." She slipped on a pair of sandals that Watari had bought for her.

L narrowed his search down to a mall he thought she would like and pulled out his cell phone to call a cab. "I believe this shopping center in Metarie should suffice. It's too far away to walk there, so I suppose a cab will have to do." He frowned at the thought of riding in a cab, but Watari wasn't around to chaperone him.

"I'm a little surprised you don't have a rental car of your own. Are you afraid you're going to fall asleep behind the wheel or something? You don't seem to have very healthy sleeping habits."

"It's not that. I drive quite well, I just prefer not to. I have too many important things to ponder to waste all of my concentration on the road."

Raine peeked over his shoulder as he closed the yellow pages window on his computer. She noticed there was another window opened on the screen. She squinted as she looked at it. It looked a little like a news site. It refreshed itself every 30 seconds.

L studied the screen as he waited to connect to the cab company. He hadn't noticed she was right behind him. In fact, he seemed completely lost in his own little world. Her eyes shifted to the information on top of the page. '_Federal Bureau of Investigations. That sort of site can't be a public one. There's no way. Why would an engineer need access to such a site?' _

By the time L had finished his phone call, Raine had purposely turned her attention to something else. She was beginning to wonder if there was a little more to this _witness protection_ program than she was being told. Perhaps Ryuzaki and Watari weren't simply a father and son who were kind enough to take her in. In fact, the more she thought about it, the more absurd it started to sound.

She forced it to the back of her mind as she browsed through a New Orleans brochure. Her instincts had told her so far that there was no threat, but she knew the issue would continue to nag at her if she didn't find some sort of distraction. She had nowhere else to go, after all.

If she did indeed find out her identity, she wasn't sure if it would be safe to go back to her old life. There was surely an element in that old life that led to her ending up in the condition Ryuzaki had found her in. As Ryuzaki had suggested to her on the plane, if she was a random victim that was unfortunate enough to fall into the hands of a predator, she would have more than likely sustained a lot more injuries than just a few minor scrapes and bruises. He proposed that someone who felt very close to her had put her there.

However, he also added that it wasn't completely improbable that a random predator followed her around and watched her for awhile, thus making her a _close_ person in the predator's mind. Still, the injuries were minor and there was no evidence of a sexual assault, a random predator seemed unlikely_. 'Ryuzaki sure seems to know a lot about criminal profiling.' _

Her thoughts were interrupted when she saw a picture of a New Orleans cemetery tour. She almost jumped up and down in excitement. "Ryuzaki, can I please visit the cemetery before we leave? I would love to see it!"

L studied her excitement with a blank expression. "Does the idea of visiting rotting corpses in cement really have that much appeal to you?"

Raine rolled her eyes. "Oh, never mind. If you don't want to go with me, then I'll just go alone later."

"That isn't going to happen." His expression remained unreadable.

Raine glared at him. "And why not? I'm not a child! I don't need you to babysit me!"

"A young female does not walk the streets of New Orleans by herself. You would be practically begging to get mugged or abducted. As long as you're under my protection, Watari or myself will accompany you at all times."

"But I want to go to the cemetery!" Raine poked her bottom lip out.

"I don't remember saying you _couldn't_ go."

"Then you'll take me there? Oh wow! You're the greatest! Thank you!"

She did something totally unexpected then. She ran up to L and wrapped her arms around him. L froze, choking back on his breath_. 'She's… she's… hugging me!' _He could feel himself start to tremble. His left eye twitched. He remained still and silent. Raine picked up on his obvious discomfort and let go immediately. "I'm sorry, Ryuzaki. I didn't mean to get carried away in the excitement." She took a few steps back. L remained completely still for awhile longer. He couldn't bring himself to move or say anything.

Finally, after a long awkward silence, L spoke in his usual monotone voice. "We should go ahead and leave. The cab will be here soon. I will go with you to a cemetery tomorrow afternoon. Tonight, I have other plans."

"Thank you, Ryuzaki. Again, I'm sorry for violating your personal space and I appreciate everything you're doing for me."

L didn't answer; he instead held the door open and motioned her out_. 'Today will most certainly be an interesting one.'_

_

* * *

_

Raine overlooked most of the clothing stores. Though the mall had over 100 stores to choose from, Raine did a majority of her shopping in one. It was a clothing store that specialized in street clothes. It looked like a store that catered mostly to teens, but Raine couldn't have been too far ahead of adolescence as far as age was concerned. As far as she knew, perhaps she was one.

She selected several outfits and a backpack before stepping up to the counter. L slid a check card across the counter to the cashier, being careful to shield any details on the card from Raine's wandering eyes. He normally liked paying for things with cash, but he was more cautious than usual now that Raine was under his protection. He knew it wasn't smart for a person to flash a wad full of money out in public. Raine couldn't help but feel guilty about not having any money to pay for her own things. She began trying to think of ways she could make it up to him.

L sighed as he reached for the five bags on the counter. _'…and here we go.'_ Before he could close his hand around the first one, Raine took it away from him. "I can carry my own things. It's bad enough you're paying for all of this, you don't have to be my servant as well."

L hesitated. "_Well_, if you _insist_. That's okay with me I _guess_." His sarcasm couldn't have been any more obvious. He was very relieved he wouldn't have to play bag boy.

They headed over to a bath and body store. L wasn't looking forward to this particular store. He followed Raine around as she picked up a few bottles of lotion and body wash before heading over to the lingerie area. L was feeling more and more uncomfortable as he watched her shuffle through nightgowns, bras and panties. "Gosh, it'll be so nice to have a little support." She said it cheerfully as she picked up a bra. L tried to shift his stare to the floor.

'_I might be a pervert, but I don't like making it this obvious. At least I'd have an excuse if I had cameras in her bathroom or had her chained up somewhere. She would just be under surveillance for an investigation. This little scenario however…' _He caught himself caressing a silk pair of panties from the bargain bin. He immediately pulled away after he realized what he was doing._ 'I'm afraid I lack a valid excuse for this.'_

By the time they were out of the bath and body store. Raine was struggling to carry seven large bags. The bags with the bath items were the most difficult. L noticed a few people giving him a dirty look as they passed by. He considered speaking out to defend himself, but decided to keep his words to himself. _'I offered to take her stupid bags and she declined. It isn't my fault she's so independent and stubborn. I shouldn't have to carry them anyway.'_

He walked behind Raine as she continued to struggle. He was starting to feel like a total ass. They had only made it past two stores by the time L stepped in front of her and extended his hand to her. "Give me the bags."

"No. I already told you I can do it." She tried to walk past him, but he stood his ground.

"Give me the bags."

"Ryuzaki, how do you expect to carry seven heavy bags with the delicate way you hold everything? I don't think your thumbs and index fingers can handle it."

He glared at her slightly. "Just so you know; I'm perfectly capable of holding things the same way as everyone else. I just prefer not to. Please, give me the bags. I'm prepared to stand in front of you all day if that's what it takes."

She released a heavy sigh and handed the bags to L. He took them in his hands just has anyone else would. She was surprised he pulled it off so easily without any hint of disgust or discomfort on his face. It was then that she thought of something. "Hey, Ryuzaki, wait. Hand me the bag with the backpack in it. I'll go ahead and wear it so you'll have one less bag to carry. I can probably fit most of the stuff I purchased at the bath and body store inside, not to mention I'll have a better place to carry my flute."

L arched his brow as he studied her. "You… brought the flute with you?"

"Well, yes. I told you I don't care to part with it." She pulled up her pants leg, and there it was; tied to her calf with some pieces of string that she had apparently found somewhere. Her leg looked discolored from the strings being so tight, but one thing was definite, the flute was secure.

After a lot of rearranging, L was now only carrying 5 bags, one of which was so light; it might as well have been empty. Raine had crammed as much as she could in her backpack, being extra careful to avoid damaging her flute. As they headed for the front entrance of the shopping mall, Raine thought of something else. "I think we bought too much, Ryuzaki. I don't think all of this stuff will fit in my backpack." She frowned.

L's eyes remained on the path ahead as he spoke. "A luggage set would have been a smarter purchase if that's your concern." He stopped in the food court and studied the map of the mall. "Well then, I'm afraid we aren't finished here yet. We need to buy you a luggage set and then we must stop by a book or gaming store. You can use your backpack to carry your items of leisure. The luggage set should take care of the rest."

Raine's mouth fell open. "Ryuzaki, I realize that an engineer's salary is up there in the income chain, but how are you affording all of this? How am I supposed to pay you back?"

"My income is of no concern of yours; and you can pay me back by allowing me enough time to pick up dessert in the food court before we leave. I'm really craving beignets right now." He had been in New Orleans for over 12 hours and had yet to indulge in one of New Orleans's most popular dessert items.

Raine couldn't find the words she wanted to reply, so she just settled for a simple "Okay."

Raine enjoyed the bookstore. Reading was her favorite activity aside from playing her flute. She picked out a few books on different cultures, a world literature book, travel books, philosophy books and a few magazines.

She glanced over at L every now and then when she was close enough. He was picking through different books in the True Crime section. He would hold them in his usual delicate way and flip quickly through the pages. At times he would smirk or snicker at the content he was scanning. Sometimes he would even throw in a snide comment in the form of a mumble.

Raine narrowed her eyes at him_. 'He seems obsessed with crimes and criminals. Add that to all the other inconsistencies… What am I missing here? He couldn't be a… '_

"I assume you're staring at me because you're ready to leave? It can't possibly be because you find me attractive." Her thoughts were interrupted by L's monotone remark.

"Uhh, y-yeah. I'm ready to leave now."

The gaming store didn't interest her much, so they made their way to the luggage store and bought a three piece set. By the time they made it back to the food court, L was carrying more bags than he was comfortable with. "You know, Ryuzaki, I can help with those."

"Absolutly not. I'm a lot stronger than I look, you know." His eyes narrowed at her.

Watari had called L while he was in the game store to see if L and Raine needed a ride; since he was now finished with his business at the orphanage for the day. L was more than relieved. "Yes, please meet us at the front entrance;" he had told Watari, "I'm also going to have to ask you for a small favor when you arrive."

Watari was already waiting for them when they walked outside. He couldn't help but smile as he watched L struggling to carry the bags. He started to go over and help him, but L swiftly shook his head when Watari tried to approach. He was apparently trying to prove something.

Because they were only in the area for a few days, Watari had opted to borrow a van from his New Orleans orphanage instead of renting a limo. It saved him a lot of headache and paperwork. The van had plenty of holding space. After the bags were safely stored away, L decided to ask Watari for the favor he now had his heart set on. In fact, the thought distracted him so; he didn't notice that Raine was no longer beside him.

"Watari, are you aware that it is now the season for Girl Scout cookies?" His eyes grew big as he said it. He looked like a dog begging for a steak.

Watari sighed. "Yes, child, I was rather hoping you would forget."

"You know I hate it when you call me that. At any rate, I couldn't help but notice a table located just outside of the food court that was selling them. If at all possible, I would like to purchase every case they have readily available. I was wondering if you would help me load them into the van."

"I suppose I have nothing better to do." Watari stood for a moment and stared at L, waiting for him to head back into the mall. L stood like a statue with his hands planted in his pockets. His dark eyes studied Watari, as if he were also waiting for something.

"Watari, I was sort of hoping you would be the one to confront the uniformed children. You do remember what happened the last time I approached one who was selling cookies?"

"Are you referring to the time the girl's mother sprayed you with a can of pepper spray because she thought you looked like a child predator?"

"You didn't have to remind me, Watari. It's a rather unpleasant memory."

"You, yourself, were the one who brought it up. Regardless, I will go and make your purchase for you. You, meanwhile, need to keep up with the weather, or else you won't know when the rain clears."

L almost raised an eyebrow at Watari's comment, but then he spun around faster than a spinning top. "Raine?" His heart sank to his stomach. She was nowhere to be seen. "Watari, why did you fail to say anything sooner?" His voice remained emotionless, but there was a slight hint of shakiness beneath it. _'How annoying! It's like babysitting a child! I really don't like her!'_

"It was only just now that I noticed."

L didn't hear Watari's reply. He was already searching through the crowd, his eyes scanning every group of people franticly. He started chewing on his nails, and then he shoved his hands into his pockets. He repeated that cycle several times as he struggled to keep a calm demeanor.

He felt a numbing sensation run through him as he searched. It was similar to the feeling he first felt when he woke up by her bedside a few days earlier only to find she was no longer in the bed. And, just as before, it was the sound of her flute that suddenly calmed him. She was playing somewhere nearby.

L made his way a little closer to the mall entrance and found her sitting against one of the walls as she played. A small crowd had gathered around her to listen. Almost all of them seemed mesmerized by the melody. It was slightly different than the first song L had heard; almost like a continuation of the prior, only flavored a little differently. The difference was very faint, but it was there. As his panic left him, he felt a strange drowsiness as a steady breeze began to engulf him. He drew in a deep breath. _'It's as though I'm breathing an air even purer than straight oxygen.'_

L watched her intently as she played. Her long ringlets of hair danced in the wind as her dainty fingers moved from hole to hole. Her eyes remained closed for the most part, but every now and then she would open them, looking at nothing. Those golden yellow eyes shined like a lion's. He marveled at her as if she were a beatiful work of art. L then thought of the huge triple layered German chocolate cake smothered in cherries and crushed coconut that Watari had once surprised him with and realized that the beauty of a woman just couldn't compare to the beauty of a piece of cake.

Just as he had done on the balcony that day, L began to feel his mind drifting to the same endless field. He felt an overwhelming desire to just start walking. At the same time, a strong sadness fell upon him. _'There is no final destination-only infinity… and…I'm so very tired.'_

He remained in the trance until she had finished her song. When it was over, L felt as though he had just awakened from a death like sleep. He took in his surroundings and noticed the others in the crowd of people who had listened to Raine's song seemed as though they had just journeyed through a surreal reality- like an acid trip.

Raine had pulled her new hat from her backpack and placed it on the ground in front of her. Many in the crowd were now throwing money into it. It was soon a little over half full of bills and loose change. L started to walk over to her as she put her flute back in her backpack and gathered her earnings.

He stopped dead in his tracks as he noticed a teenage boy approaching her. The boy chatted with Raine for several minutes as L stood a few feet back and glared at him. Raine wore a huge smile on her face as the boy talked away. She looked down shyly a few times and laughed before she would reply.

It was so obvious by the body language that the boy was doing some serious flirting. L remained unreadable as he stood there watching the teenager turn on the charm for _his_…his… well, whatever she was to him. L's mind was racing. _'The point isn't that Raine is not mine, the point is that… that… the point is that there is no point! Therefore, it only sounds logical that this seduction tactic of his go no further.' _L's total lack of outer emotion shielded an entire battlefield of restless inner feelings. He balled his fists together and firmly began to move forward. _'What an annoying woman. She leaves me with no choice then.'_

"So, how long have you been playing? You play so beautifully, it wouldn't surprise me one bit if you were to tell me you play for a symphony." Raine blushed as the teen turned on his charm. Before she could answer him, she felt an arm around her. Her head turned quickly to find L almost leaning on her. He held her with one arm and played with her hair with the other.

"There you are, my dearest. I've been looking everywhere for you." His voice was as smooth as glass. "Luckily, I heard a song more beautiful than life itself. I knew right away that you were the one playing it." He hammed it up a little and gently kissed her on the head. He glanced at the teenager, whose charming smile had vanished. "Oh, who's your young friend here?" He smirked slightly at the boy.

The teen shook his head slightly "I, uh, was just telling your… girlfriend here that… I really enjoyed the song she played. Well, I should get going now. I think I see my ride."

L forced a smile. "Yes, you do that."

When the teen was far enough away, Raine forced herself away from L and punched him on the upper part of his arm as hard as she could. "You jerk! What the hell was that all about?"

L's face remained solid as he rubbed his arm. "How do you expect me to protect you if you disappear when my back is turned?"

"I don't expect you to do anything! That little show you just put on was completely uncalled for! He was harmless!"

"They always appear to be harmless. Those are the ones you have to watch."

"You know, this morning I could have swore that you weren't a touchy feely kind of guy. I suppose I was wrong by jumping to that conclusion."

L brought his finger to his lip. "No. You weren't wrong. However, I do what I have to when absolutely necessary."

"And you thought _that_ was necessary?"

"Yes."

"Well, it wasn't!"

"It was."

"No!"

"Yes."

"No! No! No!"

"Yes. Yes. Yes."

"Well I… you just… you know… let's just drop it, okay?" Raine felt defeated. She knew it could go on like that all day. She had no idea what to say next. L couldn't help but overhear her mumble a word, though she tried to say it quietly. "...Jerk." She practically shoved her hat with the money she had made in his face. "Here, this is yours." She didn't say it in a friendly tone.

L actually looked puzzled. "Why?"

"You just spent hundreds of dollars on me. A lot of it, I didn't even need. I don't think you should ask why. Besides, you said you wanted to stop for dessert in the food court and you didn't. I figured you ended up spending more than you had planned and perhaps couldn't afford the beignets you were craving. That should be enough to buy at least six of them. You might even have enough for a drink."

L was at a loss for words. Aside from Watari, no one had ever done anything nice for him. He had totally forgotten about dessert in the food court. The sight of the Girl Scout cookies had apparently done strange things to his thought patterns. He remained silent for a moment and just stared at her. She stared right back at him until he decided to speak. "Thank you, Raine. I appreciate your thoughtfulness. I shall use this to treat you to lunch."

"Oh, no, you don't have to…"

L raised up his hand. "Please, I insist."

As they walked back into the mall, they ran into Watari. "Ah, I see you found her."

"Yes. She is safe and sound. How many cartons of cookies did the Girl Scouts have left?"

"Five full ones. One only has 4 boxes left. Two cartons are Tagalongs, one plus the 4 boxes are Thin Mints, the last two are both Do-Si-Do's. They apparently had a good day. There really wasn't much left."

L poked his bottom lip out. "Only five cartons? Five? No… Samoas? How could they be out of Samoas? It should be illegal." He was pouting. Watari decided to ignore him.

"You don't have to trouble yourself with helping me load them in the van. The scouts have volunteered to help out their elderly and assist."

"I see. Well, I suppose Raine and I will pick up lunch in the food court while I wait on their tiny little Samoa-less legs to scurry to the van with my cookies. I _should_ just buy out the entire industry. I could then have as much as I want and donate the rest to the orphanages, so the kids who _really_ deserve them may indulge at their leisure." He almost sounded bitter.

L's pouting was temporarily put on hold as he indulged in the taste of beignets. He paid extra attention not to let any crumbs fall. Raine couldn't help but watch in amusement as he licked the powdered sugar off of his fingers. "You're going to have an orgasm any minute now, aren't you?"

L ignored her comment and slid a beignet in her direction. "Mmmm. You should really try one."

"Sure, as long as they don't taste anything like cherries, I'll take one. Thanks." She took a bite and smiled. "Not bad at all. I think I can see now how this could make a person a little too happy."

L smiled slyly as he picked up another beignet. He found her brand of humor appealing at that moment. After he had finished another beignet, L's face suddenly went back to unreadable. "Raine, after our trip to the drug store, we shall return to the hotel room for a short rest. Afterward, I have something planned for you."

Raine didn't respond. She was too busy staring at a kid on the other side of the food court playing with a yo-yo. A frown crossed L's face. "You didn't hear a word I just said, did you?"

"Hmmm? Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't hear you. I was watching that child play with that thing over there."

"The yo-yo?" L watched the yo-yo go up and down for what might have been a second. "What, may I ask, do you find so fascinating about it?"

"It reminds me of a spider going up and down like that; a spider traveling on a single strand of its thread. I would like to try a yo-yo one day." She smiled to herself. "What was it you were saying?"

"What I was saying (obviously to myself) was that we have plans tonight."

Raine tilted her head and looked at him thoughtfully.

"You mean, like a date?"

"No…just an outing. I don't do dates."

"You just like to jump straight to the dirty stuff, huh?" Raine was apparently the kind of person who liked to kid around about perversion.

"I wouldn't say that."

"Oh, well then… okay. Sounds great, Ryuzaki! I can wear one of my new outfits! You're still going to take me to the cemetery tomorrow, right?"

L nodded and started playing with his bottom lip. _'Why am I doing this again?'_

_

* * *

_

**Just in case you were thinking that L wouldn't be stupid enough to leave his computer in Raine's view, you're right; but I have to get Raine to be suspicious somehow and frankly, I'm not creative enough to outsmart L. He'll just have to take a hit for the sake of a believable plot this time. **


	5. Fever

**I Do Not Own Death Note!**

**Fever**

**5.**

There had been a headline on one of the local newspapers that had caught Raine's attention while they were at the drug store. _Black Rose Murderer Arrested_. "The Black Rose Murderer… that's so poetic! So he's a high school kid? Wow. That's young for a serial killer! What do you think, Ryuzaki? I bet you'd find this article interesting."

L looked unmoved. "And why is that?"

"Because it's obvious you find criminology interesting to some degree. You should have seen yourself in the True Crime section of the bookstore."

L stared blankly at Raine as he recalled the case that had been haunting the locals. "I remember reading about the Black Rose Cult murders recently, but it failed to catch my interest; so I decided not to follow it any further."

Raine read through the article as L stood by holding bags full of hair care and hygiene products. He was ready to go back to the hotel. He had _been_ ready to go. L had felt a little under the weather since lunch at the mall. He studied her as she relayed more of the article to him. "So this guy was the leader of a high school… cult? He murdered all of his underlings plus two teenage girls. The girls had been sexually assaulted and the boys had all been sodomized before they were stabbed to death and left in different wooded or swampy areas. Six people total. Wow! That's insane!"

Something now had L's attention. 'Raine, may I see that?" He reached for the paper she was holding. His eyes grew wider as they scanned over the article. _'They apprehended the wrong person. It was such an easy case and the clues went right past the incompetent investigators. It's so incredibly… stupid."_

He was more eager than ever to get back to the hotel. Finally, they walked back to the van. As Raine slid to the back and buckled up, L pulled Watari to the other side of the van. "Watari, I'm afraid I won't be able to accompany Raine to the French Quarter this evening. Something has come to my attention that I must tend to immediately. I don't want to disappoint her. Do you think you could go with her?"

Watari narrowed his eyes. "I'm sorry, _Ryuzaki_, but I'm afraid I have dinner plans with one of the overseers of the Bratton orphanage. I went ahead and arranged it because I didn't think you would need my services this evening. You are on a _holiday_ after all." He placed as much emphasis as he could on his last sentence.

"Watari, please, I'm getting bored."

"Even when you're working, you remain bored. If you want to battle your boredom, then the best thing you can possibly do is something different from what you're used to."

L bit his bottom lip. "This dinner date of yours. Would that overseer happen to be a female? You wouldn't be so defiant if that wasn't the case."

Watari almost laughed. "_Defiant_? Don't forget who you're talking to. I may cater to your every want and need as a father who overly spoils his child, but I am not your subordinate. And not that it's any of your concern; but yes, she is a female. She's a very beautiful female and I intend on enjoying my evening with her. I may be old, but I'm not dead yet."

"You're a dirty old man."

"And you're a fool."

L's eyes opened wide. "I'm a… fool?"

Watari was good at keeping a calm demeanor whenever he was annoyed with L. His expression remained thoughtful as he spoke. "There is a beautiful woman that seems to be quite fond of you waiting in that van. She apparently has her heart set on exploring the French Quarter with you this evening; but you would rather sit alone in a dark room solving other people's problems and eating Girl Scout cookies. That, my child, makes you a fool."

L met Watari's eyes in a dead stare. "There is nothing wrong with preferring quiet time in solitude; and I hate it when you refer to me as a child. I wish you wouldn't do such."

"I'll gladly stop referring to you as such when you've grown up."

"But, why can you not entertain her for me? You do much better in social situations than I do."

"I'm not the one who insisted on bringing her with us."

"That's true, but I still shouldn't have to..." L chewed on his thumb nail and broke his stare with Watari as his voice trailed off. He wasn't in the mood to argue. It was too hot outside and he was feeling a little queasy. "Forgive me, Watari. I'm being selfish. As you've probably figured, my business can wait. It's not like the puzzle has any missing pieces, they just haven't been put together properly. I can attend to it later tonight. I'm sorry if I insulted you. I really haven't been feeling well these past few hours."

Before Watari could reply, Raine was in the front seat of the driver's side rolling down the window. "I hate to interrupt, but the air conditioning isn't all that great in here." She had been sitting in the back of the van watching to them talk through the window. She tried to study Watari's facial expression, but she wasn't getting anything aside from a constant polite smile.

Ryuzaki had his back turned to her, but she knew he would be impossible to read_. 'They certainly have a lot of private conversations. I wonder what it is they discuss that they don't want me to hear.' _Ryuzaki and Watari finally got in the van and they headed back to the hotel. No one said a word the entire ride.

* * *

"I can't wait to ride the steamboat! I hope the weather stays clear!"

"Would a little down pour really be such a problem?"

"It's not that, I just don't want the clouds to cover my sunset."

L looked up at the sky. It was only partly cloudy. The chances of rain were highly unlikely. The French Quarter wasn't overly crowded, but it was just enough to annoy him. Everything was annoying him at that moment.

L was ready to end the ridiculous custom known as a vacation or a holiday and get back to solving his puzzles. Watari had been right, of course. Even when L was working, he remained bored. He didn't feel like he would ever meet a true challenge that would actually force him to go into overdrive and give his 100%. It seemed like a distant dream to him.

Beyond Birthday was supposed to be the closest thing to his equal, but L had managed to stay several steps ahead of him from the very beginning. Even so, it had not at all ended the way L had expected it to. In fact, it ended quite badly. He recalled a thought that had entered his head on the night B was apprehended.

'_Perhaps B really did defeat me. There is a chance he knew all along that I would be faced with the decision of whether or not to intervene when he attempted his life. He knew that if it came to that worst case scenario, any choice I made would have been the wrong one. He arranged it that way. No. That can't be accurate. Something is off about that entire theory. Why am I even thinking about this right now?'_ L let out a loud sigh as he thought to himself.

'Is everything okay?"

His empty eyes met hers. L's eyes were always shrouded in mystery, but hers were very different. They were now staring into his with obvious concern and curiosity. L had apparently stopped walking with her while he was lost in thought.

"I'm alive and well."

"Are you sure you're okay? You just stopped dead in your tracks."

"If I wasn't sure, then I wouldn't say it."

Raine shrugged off his distant attitude. He seemed incapable of showing emotions of any kind; unless he was caught completely off guard. She pondered the thought as they continued to walk down Decatur Street in silence. The St. Louis Cathedral came into view after a short time. Raine stopped to take in the scene. "You know, it isn't really the cathedral itself that catches my attention. It's the heaviness in the air that surrounds it. In fact, I've felt it ever since we entered the French Quarter. Can you feel it, Ryuzaki?"

Raine waited patiently on his reply, but it never came. She turned around to face him. Ryuzaki was standing as still as the statue in front of the cathedral. Both of his hands were in his pockets. His eyes were dead set on the cathedral, yet his stare appeared to be lost in something completely different. "Ryuzaki?" She repeated his name several times, but received no response. Raine walked up to him and waved her hand in front of his face. He wouldn't even blink. _'It's like he's not even here.'_

Raine decided it would be better to just remain by his side and admire the view until he decided to bring himself back into reality. They stood there in silence for 2 or 3 minutes, before L finally came out of his trance. His eyes shifted over to her. "We should move on now."

"Are you sure? You seem pretty captivated by the cathedral. I wonder if we could go inside."

L lost his hunched over posture as he tensed up. His mind was slipping in and out of a dark place. "I can't allow you to go in there."

"Why? It's a church. I'm sure there aren't any muggers or murders inside waiting on us."

Without warning, L reached out and rested his hands on Raine's shoulders. He moved inward until he was only inches away from her. He was still standing up straight like an arrow. Raine was slightly taken back, but didn't back away. She looked up at him and returned his stare. His eyes looked like they were pleading with her.

She laughed nervously. "Y-you're pretty tall when you're not slouched over."

"Raine… I can't protect you in there. Please, let's just move on. Please."

He was actually pleading with her. She saw traces of loose moisture around his tear ducts. She couldn't believe this was the same guy that, up until now, had kept all of his emotions concealed.

"O-okay, Ryuzaki. I only suggested it because I thought it would appeal to you. I didn't mean to make you… cry."

He suddenly glared at her. "I'm not crying. My eyes are watery because I have allergies. In truth, I'm not feeling well."

"Allergies… "

"Yes. I'm allergic to cathedrals with bells. Now, let's go."

He quickly moved away from her and shoved his hands into his pockets. They both walked onward through the different streets of the French Quarter in hopes of forgetting the cathedral incident. L was walking a little more sluggishly than usual. Raine suggested a carriage ride, but he protested that he didn't care to stare at a mule's rear end for half an hour.

They stopped at a popular coffee house to pick up some beignets. He had by then returned to his usual laid back and unreadable demeanor. Raine ordered a vanilla chai latte and L ordered beignets to-go. As they waited for their order, Raine had one last thought about L's behavior at the cathedral. Unfortunately, she said it out loud.

"So you're allergic to cathedrals and you're powerless when you're inside of one. Are you trying to say you're a vampire or demon? That's just ridiculous."

L licked his bottom lip. "Do not treat it as a joke."

"What's the big deal? I don't get it."

He spun around and glared at her. His emotions were beginning to escape him again. He kept his voice as monotone as he possibly could, speaking slowly. "Look, this is a very touchy subject with me. I do not wish to discuss it with you or anyone else. If you speak of it again, I will end our evening in the French Quarter so that I may return to my room and do what I wanted to do to begin with. I don't exactly enjoy entertaining people like this."

Raine wanted to cry. Her bottom lip slightly quivered. "You really don't want to be here right now, do you? You were the one who told me were coming here tonight. I never asked you to entertain me."

"It was my father's suggestion that I bring you here."

"We should just go back then. I don't need to be entertained." He had hurt her feelings for the first time. She felt like a nuisance. Raine started thinking about how much trouble she was for Ryuzaki and Watari. Ryuzaki had spent his entire vacation so far catering to her.

L retrieved her tea from the counter and handed it to her. "The reservations for dinner on the steamboat have already been made. It is my responsibility to make sure you are well fed."

"You're only doing this because you feel obligated. No, I'm not going. In fact, I'm not going anywhere else with you. I'm grateful for everything you've done for me, Ryuzaki, but I think we'll both be better off if we part ways." Raine wasn't sure what she was saying, she only knew her feelings were walking a thin line.

He looked unconcerned with her words. He nibbled on his thumbnail and slowly inhaled a breath. "Raine, if you really want to leave, then I won't stop you. However, I would really like it if you would accompany me to Woldenberg Park first. Perhaps you'll have a chance to think about this more as you watch the sunset. The weather has stayed semi-clear for you."

Raine looked down in disgust. "I don't know why I should even bother if I'm only keeping you from doing the things you'd rather be doing."

"The only thing I really want to do at this moment is sit down. There are plenty of benches in Woldenberg. It would really ease my mind if you were sitting beside me." L wasn't sure if he was being sincere at that point. He was starting to feel ill. He didn't know what to think about Raine, but there was no way he would ever admit that he actually enjoyed Raine's company (reguardless of how annoying she was). It was his responsibilty to protect her. He seemed stuck on the idea.

Raine sighed heavily. "Ryuzaki… I don't understand how you can be a total jerk one moment and then completely turn it around the next. I'll go to Woldenberg with you, and then we'll say goodbye."

"Agreed." He shrugged as if he didn't care either way.

L grabbed a few napkins for his beignets, and together, they headed silently to the park.

Watching the sunset over the great Mississippi was a spectacular sight. Raine admired the view in silence as she shifted to a comfortable position on the park bench. In the distance, she could hear a jazz band playing an upbeat tune. Ryuzaki perched beside her, hugging his knees. He watched the sunset with glassy eyes. His complexion was a lot paler than usual. His beignets rested beside him, untouched.

"Ryuzaki?"

He slowly turned to look at her. His expression was that of a sad child who had perhaps just lost a pet. Raine knew something wasn't right. He didn't need to be out. "Ryuzaki, you look a little sick. I think you should head back to the hotel. I'll walk with you if you'd like."

He ignored her offer. "Are you enjoying the sunset?"

"Well, yes. It's beautiful. It was very nice of you to bring me here. It's a little awkward though. Everyone else we've seen here are sharing the moment with their special someone. We're only here because your father told you to be here… and we haven't even known each other long enough to be anything more than two strangers that somehow ended up getting tangled in the same web. "

L looked away, turning his attention back to the sunset. He remained silent for awhile before he decided to reply. "I'm sorry, I'm not special." He never turned away from the sunset.

"Ryuzaki, I didn't mean to make it sound like…"

"Before you leave, I have something for you." He reached into his pocket and retrieved something. "Close your eyes and hold out your hand."

Raine let out a small laugh. "Close my eyes? If you insist..." She closed her eyes and held out her hand for him. He moved closer to her and gently placed something in her hand before closing her fingers around it. His hands felt very cold and clammy. _'He's sick. I need to get him back to…_'

"You can open your eyes now." His voice came out as a whisper. She opened her eyes to see him admiring her. He wore a small smile on his face. Raine opened her hand slowly. She was holding a red yo-yo, just like the one that had caught her eye in the mall. She grinned from ear to ear. "Ryuzaki, thank you! I love it! When did you get this?"

L had returned to his side of the bench. He was hugging his knees and staring at the sunset again. "I made the purchase in the drug store while you were browsing feminine hygiene products."

Raine blushed fiercely. "Oh, I-I see. Well, that was incredibly sweet of you. You didn't have to do that."

"I wanted to. I wish you luck in regaining your memory. Perhaps one day, we'll cross paths again. Either way, I'll never forget you. Goodbye, Raine." He wouldn't look at her as he said it. He didn't want the memory of watching her walk away forever.

"Ryuzaki, you're sick. I should…"

"Raine, please just go. I'll be fine. I promise."

She picked up her backpack and turned to walk away. She hadn't taken 3 steps when she stopped and turned to face him again. "You really want me to go?"

"What I want is irrelevant."

She walked over to him and leaned over until she met his eyes. "What do _**you **_want me to do?"

L gazed deeply into her golden yellow eyes. He almost turned away, but he couldn't bring himself to break the stare. "I want you to have dinner with me."

"Dinner? You can't be serious! You're so sick; you can barely hold your head up! You haven't touched your beignets. That's a _huge_ red flag that something is wrong. Just let me walk you back to the hotel."

Without thinking, he grabbed her hand and brought it to his lips. In the back of his mind, he knew he was acting like a fool, but his head wouldn't stop spinning. He couldn't think straight. 'Please, Raine. Let me take you to dinner as we had originally planned."

Raine was stunned at his actions. "This is the fever taking over. It has to be. This isn't the Ryuzaki I've come to know. You're not this… romantic. It's like the fever is telling you that you're in love."

"I'm not in love. It isn't possible. I'm incapable of loving and I lack the desire to love. It isn't something you ever have to worry about. My only desire is to do my job. I want to help you. I want to protect you." He hadn't let go of her hand. "You need to eat. I want you to have dinner with me."

She sighed and rolled her eyes at him. "God, you're a stubborn ass. If you insist, the boat leaves in 45 minutes. That should give us enough time to walk to the general store and pick up something to reduce your fever. I don't want you order a lot of junk food. I'll request a bowl of soup for you. As soon as the boat docks, we'll call Watari to pick you up."

L finally released her hand. "Pick _**me**_ up? You still plan on leaving then?"

Raine dodged his question. "If I was a decent person, I'd call him right now instead of letting you have your way." She held out her hand for him. "Come on, let's go ahead and go so we don't have to rush."

L hesitated, but finally took her hand. He started to open his mouth to say something, but decided against it. At that moment, L was no longer L. He was a defenseless child in a dark place. He loathed the feeling. He felt horrible, and his thoughts were drowning him in their redundancy_. 'B… that damn cathedral… she's leaving me… why do I not want her to… I'm losing control of my mind and body… I'm so tired.' _

L took a deep breath as he stood up. _'I'm a grown man. I can handle a little fever.'_ He was determined not to let his illness and his troubles ruin the evening. He nodded and gave her a polite smile, and then he shoved his hands in his pockets and started walking.

* * *

Raine closed her eyes and smiled as the wind wrapped itself around her face. The steamboat was riding at a steady pace down the river. The air was fresh and the jazz music that played in the background made her want to dance. There were several clouds gathering in the sky, but they were only noticeable in the moonlit sky because they were covering the stars in a thick blanket as they moved.

L had barely spoken a word since they had left the park. He was feeling a little better, but he was still deeply troubled. He would glance at Raine every so often; but for the most part, he simply stood at the side of the boat, staring at the water.

When it was time to sit down for dinner, Raine started taking note of some of the passengers. A few of them were dressed up in clothes that were only a step below formal. Most were business casual. Every now and then, she'd see a couple dressed in street clothes, but there were only two or three at the most.

L was dressed in his usual white shirt and jeans. Raine had changed into some of her new clothes at the hotel. Instead of dressing as L's twin, she now wore a black long sleeve fitted shirt with open sleeves. It had a panda bear on the front with a little broken heart over its head. Her pants were wide legged blue jeans. She was grateful to be wearing a pair of jeans that she didn't have to roll up or trip over. A pair of black and grey skater shoes completed her ensemble. It was a simple outfit, but she was comfortable.

Raine studied the menu as L slowly sipped a glass of iced tea. "This is the best part about visiting the south eastern United States. They serve sweetened iced tea." He said it out loud, but it didn't seem to be directed toward anyone. The waiter came over to take their orders.

Though Raine had told him not to, L ordered New Orleans Bread Pudding and a triple chocolate brownie. Raine narrowed her eyes at him, so he explained himself. "If I don't develop an appetite for it before we leave, then I can take it back to the hotel room and eat it later. Either way, I'll have it close by when I'm ready for it."

Raine shifted her attention to the waiter and ordered the Chicken Toulouse and a bowl of broth for Ryuzaki. She asked the waiter if they served a smaller order of crawfish. She wanted to try them, but didn't want to order an entire plate full. "I'm sorry, but I'm afraid we can't do it like that."

The waiter heard L clear his throat. He looked over to the wild haired gentlemen and saw him flashing several bills under the table. He turned his attention back to Raine. "Actually Miss, I believe there is a sampler plate you can try."

Raine smiled. "That would be great. Thank you."

The waiter later returned with a small plate of crawfish. There were five in all. Raine thanked him and studied the crawfish. She looked a little unsure of it and started to pick up a fork. She then decided she couldn't eat it with a fork. The waiter took notice. "All you do is grab the two ends and twist the head off. Suck the head and discard it, then pinch the end of the tail and pull out the meat."

Even though he felt like total hell, L smirked at the waiter's instructions. He could never feel too sick to appreciate unintended innuendo. He chewed harshly on his nails as he watched her try to get the hang of eating crawfish. She noticed his stare in her direction. "What? Why are you looking at me like that?"

"No particular reason. Perhaps I'm just admiring the way you_ suck the head_."

"You're such a pervert."

His smirk returned. "I've been referred to as worse." L flashed back to his time as a teenager (which wasn't all that long ago). He had taken an interest in watching online porn to ease his urges. He thought of a few other things he had done in his _'alone'_ time to satisfy his teenage harmones. _'I definitely did strange things at that age.' _

L's dessert was the next to arrive, followed by Raine's main course.

L admired his meal, but he still didn't feel like eating anything. In fact, he was starting to feel dizzy again. The room would spin around every so often. He found it harder and harder to keep his balance as he sat perched on his chair.

"Why do you eat so much junk food anyway, Ryuzaki?"

"Sugar can soak up emotions like a sponge. It's very useful."

"You're being serious."

"Yes, and not only that, but I also happen to really like sweets."

They sat in silence for awhile. L felt as though he were slipping in and out of a dream-like state. He tried to focus on Raine, as she enjoyed her meal. Once again, she felt his eyes on her.

"So what's so perverted about the chicken?"

"Nothing at all."

She studied him. "You're starting to lose your color again."

"I'm fine." He looked down at the table. "Are you really planning to leave after the boat docks?"

"I've caused you enough trouble. The only reason you're out here is because of me; when you _should_ be in bed. I think you're a lot sicker than you're letting on. I've already overstayed my welcome. Your vacation will be over soon anyway. I'd hate to be a distraction while you're trying to work."

L continued to look down. A frown formed on his face. "You're making excuses."

"No. I'm not. I'm being practical."

"When you first spoke to me, you asked if we were lovers. The question within itself wasn't what startled me; it was the tone you used. You asked in such a way that suggested you weren't disgusted by the idea. You weren't repulsed by my appearance or my childishness. I really thought I had finally crossed paths with someone who wouldn't find spending time with me so unbearable. I was a fool to jump to such a conclusion. I suppose even a genius can make mistakes sometimes. You've shown me tonight that you're really no different than anyone else."

Raine stopped eating. She had absolutely no idea how to respond. She thought about it for a moment. "What would it matter if you found a companion? You said earlier that you had no desire to love. I'm only assuming that includes agape love. It isn't that no one can stand to be around you. You've set yourself up to be lonely with your attitude. It's really a shame. Your ability to feel seems to be your greatest gift and yet you deny it to yourself. You try with all of your might to restrain every feeling you have. The fever you've had tonight is the only thing that seems strong enough to tear down the walls that you build around yourself. Why do you try so hard to dehumanize yourself?"

L didn't answer her. He remained silent and continued to stare at the table. It was only after the waiter refilled his tea that he decided to finally speak. "I won't let you do this. You can't just leave with nowhere to go."

"Sure I can. All I have to do is get up and walk away."

"You have nowhere to go. If I apologize for what I said to you earlier, will you abandon this idea of leaving? That's how this entire thing started, after all. You can't take everything I say so personal."

Raine was getting frustrated. "What does it even matter to you, Ryuzaki? I've done nothing but put a huge dent in your wallet since I've been with you. You can't possibly be happy about that. I have no way of paying you for anything aside from the pocket change I earn from playing my flute. "

"As I told you this morning, if you wander the streets of New Orleans by yourself, particularly after the sun goes down, you are begging to fall prey to bad people. If you leave this boat by yourself tonight, I can guarantee you won't wake up in a pleasant place tomorrow morning; assuming you wake up at all."

L picked up his glass of tea and brought it to his forehead. He was struggling to keep himself in reality. He wanted to get it over with and fall out of his chair so he would no longer have to worry about maintaining his balance. The waiter came to the table with the bill, and L handed him a check card. He took a sip of his tea before placing it back on the table.

"Ryuzaki, you're not looking good at all. This was a bad idea. I don't know why I agreed to it. How much longer until the boat docks?"

"I told you I'm feeling a lot better. I could stay out all night if I wished to do so. It shouldn't be too much longer before the boat docks. If they stay on schedule, it should be 10 minutes at the most."

After a few minutes had passed, the waiter returned with L's card and receipt. "Here you go Mr. Corrigon. Would you like a box for your desserts?"

It took everything L had to force a smile at the waiter who had just blown his cover. "Thank you." He nodded slowly at the waiter. "I mean it. Thank you."

Failing to catch on to L's obvious sarcasm, the waiter walked away to retrieve a to-go box. L hadn't anticipated his night to get any worse, but the nightmare was really only just beginning. Raine reached over and jerked the card out of L's hand.

"Philip Corrigon? Philip Corrigon!" She threw the card at him and bolted up. "I knew something wasn't right about this! This explains your lack of concern with money. You're stealing it from people! You're a thief and a con artist aren't you?" Despite her anger and hurt, she kept her voice surprisingly low, to avoid startling the other passengers.

L's head was spinning. The room wouldn't be still. He was too sick at that point to talk his way out of her accusations. He was also too sick to realize he had shared his last thought out loud. "If I was a thief or a con artist, then I would have no use for Wedy or Aiber."

Raine glared at him. "Aiber… then that lieutenant that talked to me was just a henchman of yours. Who the hell are you and what do you want with me?" Her eyes were filled with anger. A whistle blew. The boat was pulling into the dock.

"Raine, if you will give me but a moment to collect my thoughts, I'll…" His voice trailed off. His head dropped down into his hand. His other hand held onto the table so he wouldn't fall. He was sure he was about to pass out.

"You're not even sick are you? You've been playing me for a fool this whole time. Drop the act all ready. I'm not going to take pity on you anymore." Her voice sounded so cold, it sent chills through him.

L drew in a few weak breaths. "You… think this is an act? You… ungrateful … creature. I don't believe I owe you an explanation… for anything."

Raine felt her bottom lip quiver again. She felt entirely lost. As she watched the man who had cared for her struggle to try and stand, a typhoon of guilt knocked her into numbness. She started to go to him, but she stopped mid way. A knot formed in her stomach as tears welled up in her eyes. "I- I don't know who you are, but you need to c-call your f-father to come get you." She signaled to the waiter for help. "This is my fault. I'm leaving now. I'm so very sorry."

She walked out of the dining area as quickly as she could. L was now standing, but he was still holding on to the table. He called to her, though his voice was growing weak. "Raine, wait. Please… just wait! Wait!"

His calls to her were ignored. She was outside. The boarding ramp had already been lowered. She wasted no time making a quick exit. L mustered every ounce of strength he had and started to chase after her. His body ached in protest, but his determination allowed him to continue. "Raine!" He almost pushed several people into the water as he hurried down the ramp. He couldn't let her get away.

Several yards away, he could see her popping in and out of the crowd. He tried to pick up his pace, but he was quickly losing his strength. He finally came to a stop and gasped for a breath. He could feel rain drops starting to fall on the back of his neck. _'As if things could get any worse.'_

Things got worse. A lot worse. He almost jumped out of his skin as the bell chimed its first_ ding_. He turned his head slowly to confirm his location. He was standing in front of St. Louis Cathedral, and they had just started ringing the bells. They sounded a lot louder and clearer when he was hearing them in reality instead of the back of his mind.

L couldn't move. He didn't breath. He didn't blink. He simply stood there in the shadow of everything happening around him- the bells ringing, the cathedral staring at him in its stillness, the drops of rain turning into a heavy down pour. L started to tremble all over. He found the strength to place his hands over his ears and closed his eyes.

Random words began pouring through his mind as he reluctantly listened to the bell chimes. '_I don't care to feel anything, ever again… she's bleeding… you're hurting her… I'm still tired… it's so cold…'_ His thoughts suddenly pulled away from the usual dialog of his dreams. His mind then flipped through dozens of graphic crime scene photos.

They were so vivid; he could have just as well been seeing them on a projector screen. The photos pictured random people who had fallen victim to murder, but after the first dozen he viewed, all of the victims started to resemble Raine. His mind flashed back to the child in the cathedral; the child that haunted his dreams. '_I'm still tired… it's so… cold._' L struggled to pull himself out of the darkness. "I can't protect you." He spoke through clenched teeth. He tried to focus on the rain beating down on him. He had to keep moving. "I can't protect you!" Darkness followed.

When L came to his senses again, he was in the hotel lobby. _'How? I was standing in front of the cathedral only moments ago.' _He had no memory of his walk back to the hotel. He had apparently blacked out. L dragged his feet and headed to the elevator. He battled his vision, hoping the area would come in to full focus and stop spinning around. He reached out to press the elevator button. He succeeded on his third attempt.

L leaned against the elevator wall as it carried him up. He listened to his breathing and closed his eyes. _'Raine is gone. I failed her. Now she's alone and defenseless. Now I'm alone.' _He almost threw up as the elevator came to a sudden stop and slowly opened to reveal his floor. L pushed himself off of the elevator wall and practically stumbled out into the hallway.

L put his hands on his head and rested against the wall. He sniffled loudly. L couldn't tell if it was the result of a runny nose or if he was actually sobbing. Things like this weren't supposed to happen to him. '_This is why I never go anywhere_.' He remained against the wall for awhile and felt sorry for himself; totally unaware that someone was in the hallway watching him.

He pushed himself off of yet another wall and slowly turned to walk down the hallway to his room. He could have passed as a zombie straight from a George Romero movie. L was ready to give up and fall to the floor. His body was completely out of energy. _'I think… I need medical attention.' _His eyes slightly focused on a figure in the hallway moving towards him. L thought he was hallucinating when the figure came into full focus. "Raine..."

It was really her, standing before him with a very concerned look on her face. "Ryuzaki, where is Watari? Did you not call him to pick you up?"

Without warning, L threw her arms around her and embraced her. No, he fell forward and used her to catch himself. "You came back to me." His voice was barely audible.

"Y-yeah. Something like that. You walked all the way back here? Why? Why did you do that?" She wrapped her arms around him and allowed him to support himself against her. "My God, You're burning up!"

"I'm glad you're safe, Raine."

"Ryuzaki, I'm so very sorry. You wouldn't be this sick if it weren't for me. Can you make it to your room? You can lie down and I'll get in touch with Watari somehow so he can drive you to a clinic or hospital."

"I wasn't the one who lit the match. Was I?"

"Lit the match? What are you talking about?"

L didn't reply. He had passed out in their embrace.

Raine wasn't strong enough to carry him. She had to move backwards with him still in her arms and let his feet drag against the floor. She was grateful he didn't weigh much. She managed to get him in his room with minimum difficulty. With a little effort, she propped up a few pillows on the bed as she held him, and then eased him onto the bed.

Raine knew he probably couldn't hear her, but she felt the need to let him know what she was doing to him. "I'm letting you lie propped up like this for now so I can get these wet clothes off of you easier. I can't let you stay in them."

Very carefully, she peeled off his drenched shirt. There were bruises all over his chest and sides. It looked as though he had tumbled down a flight of stairs recently. She studied his bruises; and then she noticed another mark on his chest. It was a dark birthmark; located right below his heart. '_It's as unique as my own.'_

Raine removed his shoes and slid off his jeans. She was relieved to see his boxers were still dry. She left them on. His body was dangerously warm. She got a cold washcloth from the bathroom and rested it on L's forehead. He moaned in his sleep when the cool cloth made contact with his skin. She leaned into his ear and whispered to him. "Just relax now. I'm going to take care of you, just as you cared for me."

She pulled his cell phone out of his jeans and studied the screen and keys. She pressed a few buttons until she found his contacts list. Much to her surprise, Watari's number was the only number stored on it. She frowned slightly. It didn't read _Dad_ or _Father_. It was just _Watari_. Had that been a lie too?

Raine assumed the green button connected the call, so she tried her luck. She wasn't familiar with using cell phones. The other line began to ring. Watari picked it up on the third one. "Yes?"

"Watari? It's Raine."

There was a brief silence on the other end. "Miss Raine? Is something wrong?"

"Watari, Ryuzaki is very sick. He's burning up with a fever and I think he needs a doctor. He passed out on me!"

"Oh my. I should have foreseen this. He was out in a rainstorm only a few nights ago shirtless and cold. Given his bad eating and sleeping habits, it was inevitable he would get sick. His immune system obviously couldn't take it. I'll be there as soon as I can."

Raine closed her eyes after the call had ended. _'Shirtless in a rainstorm? Was that the night found me?_' A whole new wave of guilt drowned her heart. _'He really is sick because of me.'_

She gently touched his face as he slept. Out of nowhere, a name suddenly popped into her head. It wasn't one she recognized, but it rolled off of her tongue as though she had said it before. "Adian…" L jumped in his sleep slightly. She wasn't sure what to do with the alien name, so she pushed it aside into her memory and spoke to L some more.

"The wind carries the rain. When the wind is gone, the rain will yearn for it. It will fall violently to the earth until the wind returns to carry it away." She wasn't sure what had possessed her to say such a thing. She settled beside him and began to lose herself in her own thoughts. Watari would be there soon; and Ryuzaki would be okay. _'He will be ok. Won't he?'_


	6. Questions

**Questions**

**6.**

L was standing in the middle of the endless field again. He closed his eyes and let his head fall back as the wind intimately felt his face. It was singing to him. He fine tuned his ears to hear its faint whisper. The wind was carrying the song of Raine's flute.

A sudden sadness swept over him. As L tried to ponder what it was that was making him feel so hopeless, he felt an overwhelming desire to start walking; so he did just that. He studied his surroundings as he moved onward.

The sky was too cloudy to see the sun. It reminded him of an unfinished oil painting. There were wild flowers of all kinds covering the fields in colorful detail, but the artist had apparently lost interest in his work before it was finished and failed to paint in the sky. The above view was little more than a blank canvas.

L had no idea where he was going; he only knew he had to keep walking. If he stopped, the sadness would return. He walked on for what felt like hours, days, weeks. The scenery never changed. The wind never stopped. Nothing new ever entered his view. It was endless.

After what felt like an eternity, he saw a figure in the distance. Relieved to finally see a speck of dust on the horizon, he picked up his pace. He walked and walked, but the figure never appeared to get any closer. He reasoned that the figure had to be another person walking in the same direction at a similar pace. He started running, determined to catch up.

Just when he thought he was catching up, the figure ahead vanished. L slowed to a stop, tired and frustrated. It wasn't long before he had to start walking again, he couldn't handle the feeling that consumed him when he was standing still. The figure suddenly appeared again, only this time it was closer.

It vanished again, and then appeared even closer. Each time it would vanish and then reappear closer than before. It was soon close enough for him to recognize; a young woman with long flowing ringlets of brown hair blowing wildly with the wind. It was Raine. Her back was turned to him. The distance that now separated them was about the length of a football field.

L called to her, but she didn't acknowledge it. Perhaps she couldn't hear him over the song of the wind. He called again, as loud as his voice would allow, but she still did not turn around. Instead, she melted away into the breeze. L felt the sting of hopelessness return. "No, don't leave me here!"

He started to run after what was no longer there, but was stopped by a sudden shift in the wind. Something about the way the breeze was pushing him instructed him to turn around. When he did, she was there. She was dressed in an exotic gown of dark grey. The color alone made it unique. It was just as revealing as it was modest. Upon her brow was a silver head band, its center adorned with a single blue jewel.

The golden yellow pools-that where her eyes- sparkled as she studied him. A small smile crossed her face and she reached out to take his hand. L was so taken aback by her overwhelming beauty, his hand moved in slow motion as it reached out to meet hers. In the moment their hands closed around each other, they were no longer standing in the field.

They were now standing on a dark path. A forest of trees surrounded it. The only visible light was coming from an object in Raine's other hand. Perhaps it was a lantern, perhaps a candle. L couldn't really make out what it was. He tried to look ahead, but the path in front of him was ink black. He turned around to see the same thing behind him.

His grip tightened on Raine's hand. She had yet to say anything, she merely smiled at him; sadness tracing her eyes. L himself felt a new wave of sadness sweep over him. Without a thought, he pulled Raine into his arms and held her close; as if to shield her from the negative energy. In the time he had been in the field and on the path through the forest, nothing else about his life, purpose or identity existed. He just... was.

"Please tell me, Raine. Why do I feel so sad when I'm standing still?"

She looked up into his dark eyes and brought her lips to his. Her skin glowed in a moonlight that wasn't there. She brought her lips to his ear and kissed it softly. Her voice was as gentle as the soft breeze that surrounded them. "No one wants to be frozen in time."

L wanted to ask her what she meant, but before he could speak, she had vanished again; taking the light with her. He was alone in the black darkness. The breeze had stopped. There was no sound. The air was getting thicker with every second that passed and L couldn't breathe. He tried to walk in hopes of pulling himself out of the darkness, but something was weighing him down_. 'No. This place is…am I…dead?'_

He didn't have a chance to panic; because he woke up. L was lying in a dimly lit room. He sat up in the bed. His eyes widened as he took in his surroundings. Raine was sitting on the bed, studying him. She was dressed in very revealing black silk. She studied him with yearning eyes. "I see you're awake. I was really getting worried." He wanted to speak, but every time he opened his mouth, no words would come out.

Raine slowly crawled onto his lap and passionately kissed him. L couldn't move. He closed his eyes as his breaths quickened. He wanted her. He was drowning in his lust, yet he was hesitating.

"What is it, Ryuzaki. We're both awake now. Don't you want to touch me?" Before she gave him a chance to reply, she was kissing him again. She broke the kiss and began to explore his neck with her mouth. Her hands were caressing the rest of his body. "Ryuzaki, I need you." L was in total ecstasy as he lost himself to her advances.

When he opened his eyes, he was in a totally different place. He was still in his hotel room, lying alone in the bed. He felt weak and had a horrible headache. He felt the sting in his throat when he swallowed and knew that he hadn't woke up in another dream. This time, he was in reality.

He sat up, almost hoping he'd see Raine as he had seen her in his dream. She was there, but it wasn't the picture he had hoped for. She was lounging on the couch in a grey tank top and a black pair of fleece pants with the kanji for angel printed on the upper left leg. She had her nose buried in a book.

Raine caught his movement out of the corner of her eye. "Oh good, you're awake," she said as she placed a bookmark in her book. "You're due another dose of antibiotics."

L sat in silence as she prepared him a drink and a bowl of ice cream. He wasn't sure what he should say. He was definitely glad that she was there with him and not wandering the streets by herself, but he was struggling with another feeling. _'She witnessed me in my weakest moment.'_ He wasn't sure why, but the thought caused him to glare at her. He actually felt a little bitter. _'Now I know for a fact that I don't like her. In fact, I think she's...' _There was something nagging at the back of L's mind that wasn't letting him finish his thought. Despite uncovering L's lie, Raine was there with him. She was even taking care of him. _'...No... I'm not going to give into this... feeling! I'm not a teenager with uncontrolable urges anymore. I've long surpassed the desire for a mate. I shouldn't even be thinking about such ignorant things. She's annoying! Everything about her is annoying!'_

His glare disappeared as Raine turned to face him. She brought him a serving tray with his medication, a glass of water and three scoops of strawberry ice cream. There was also a thermometer on the tray. "I've been monitoring your temperature every two hours. I seriously hope you're as cooperative when you're awake as you are when you're asleep." She picked up the thermometer and brought it closer to his mouth.

L held up a hand in protest. "That won't be necessary."

Raine rolled her eyes. "I should have known you'd be complicated. Work with me here, Ryuzaki. I need to make sure your fever stays down. It peaked at 104.7 the night before last."

"The night before last… I see." He took the thermometer from her and stuck it in his mouth, rolling it around with his tongue as he waited.

"What's up with you and the oral fixation? You're always chewing or sucking on something… or playing with your bottom lip."

"Very observant. However, I have to say it isn't the first question I was expecting from you." The thermometer beeped. "99.6."

L handed the thermometer back to her and forced his pills down. He eyed the bowl of ice cream in front of him before shifting his eyes to Raine and studying her in silence.

"I thought it would help sooth your throat. Do you not want it?" She reached over to take the tray, but he grabbed her hand and gently pushed it away. "Please, leave it."

They sat in silence for awhile and stared at each other. It almost looked as though they were having a contest to see who would look away first. Raine gave the win to L and turned away. A small sigh escaped her. She rose from the side of the bed so she could do something less uncomfortable. It was then he finally decided to speak.

"Should I assume you have no questions for me?"

She stared at the tray as she gathered her thoughts. "Actually, I do have a few questions."

L chewed on his index fingernail. "Then I suppose I have no choice but to answer them. Please proceed."

"Is Watari your father?"

"He's the closest thing I have to one."

"You're not really an engineer, are you?"

"No."

"Are you a criminal?"

"Technically, No."

"Technically?"

"I have broken laws before, though none of them have ever involved harming another person. I bend the rules when it's necessary, but I've never been arrested."

"How did you get all of those bruises on your chest?"

L glanced down at his chest. "A female happens to be responsible for these."

She arched an eyebrow with an almost disgusted look on her face. "You prefer it rough then? I'll never understand how people get off on such a thing."

"I don't recall saying I _got off_ on anything."

Raine let out a quick laugh. "No, of course not. You didn't get off _**on **_something…but rather _**in**_."

"And yet, I'm the pervert."

Raine ignored his reply. The sly smile left her face. "I have two more questions."

"Very well."

"I've heard three names so far: Ryuzaki Whitman, Philip Corrigon, and Watari registered you at the clinic as Noah Spaidler. None of those are your real name. Am I correct?"

"Yes."

She studied him for a minute. "Okay then. I guess that's all I've got."

"You said you had two more questions. I only heard one."

"Oh, right. My last question is: are you enjoying the view?" Raine was referring to L's eyes finding refuge in staring at her chest. She was actually waering a shirt that was fitting enough to hug her breasts. Though they weren't exactly as big as L had seen on the women in magazines or videos; they were still there in front of him, nonetheless.

"Yes. It's quite pleasant."

"You know, to be such a liar, you do very well at being painfully honest."

"Raine, if you do not wish to be admired in such a way, then I don't recommend you wear articles of clothing that complement your feminine form so nicely."

She was blushing. "I suppose you've got me there. Well, then I guess I'm done with my interrogation."

"I don't think you are." He finally picked up his spoon and took a bite of ice cream.

"What?"

"Surely you have follow-up questions." He closed his eyes as he swallowed a bite of ice cream. "Mmmm…you were right. This is soothing my throat very nicely. At any rate, I would expect you to ask me what it is that I actually do for a living, what my real name is, and more importantly, why I've taken you under my wing."

"I suppose I _am_ curious about all of those things, but I'm sure the answers will become clear to me in time. I wonder though; is there really anything being done to uncover my identity? Or was that a lie as well?"

"Watari and I both will do everything in our power to find out who you are. I can trace your origins a lot faster than any bureau of investigations."

"I see. Already then, one of the answers to those questions is in the clearing."

"Is that so?"

"You're obviously a private investigator of some kind; and from what I've learned so far, you're a very important one. Since you say that you break laws, and you defiantly don't dress or carry yourself as most investigators would, you probably don't work for a particular system. A system wouldn't let you get away with it. You're completely independent. Am I close?"

"Close enough."

"Then my instinct was right in telling me that I'm safe with you for the time being."

"I honestly can't think of a place where you would be safer."

"Well then, as long as you'll allow me, I would like to remain with you and Watari for now. I'll make myself useful; and you don't have to worry about entertaining me nor do you have to buy me a bunch of stuff. Is that okay?"

L pretended to think about it for awhile. "Well, I guess." He said it in a playfully sarcastic tone.

A smile formed on Raine's face; one that threatened to melt the inner wall which restrained most of L's emotions. He felt his eye slightly twitch. He was obviously still pretty sick, because at that moment, he felt something so deep, it was literally painful.

For the first time he could remember, he felt confused. He didn't know how he should feel about Raine. It was nagging at his brain again. L had no idea that what he felt was only a small pinch of desire. As small as it was, L found it overwhelming. He wanted to know her more than ever.

He decided to stare at his ice cream until he could shrug the feeling off; but not before saying something that he intentionally stripped of any feeling. "I'm very pleased that you want to stay with me."

"And I'm very grateful to you for going out of your way to help me. You should probably try and get some more rest now. You still have a bit of a fever."

L looked up. His eyes narrowed at her. "I'm not satisfied with your lack of questions. It suggests to me that you're extremely gullible. Do you really think I can be trusted so easily from everything you've seen so far? You haven't questioned my true agenda at all. Perhaps your tendency to trust people so easily is the reason you ended up beside that warehouse. If you ever wish to make it on your own, you'll need to be more cautious of your surroundings and the people you interact with."

Raine rolled her eyes at him. "Well I appreciate the lesson, professor. I have no reason to question your motives, because I honestly don't think you have any. If I really wanted to walk away, you wouldn't be able to stop me. That was proven the other night."

"I'm not always so weak. I could have forced you to stay in any other circumstance."

"You fully intended on letting me walk away in that park."

"You sound so sure of that. I want you to remember that even though I have decided to take the responsibility of keeping you well and safe, I am not a person to be trusted so easily. I'm a liar and I have no regard for other people's feelings. My world revolves around the games I play. There's no room in it for anything else." L fell back onto the bed. "Perhaps we should stop talking now. My throat is begging me to stop."

Raine gave him a sad face. She didn't understand why he viewed himself in such a way. She saw something completely different in him; only, he always tried to suppress it. "Okay, Ryuzaki. I think what you're really telling me is to keep my distance. I can do that. It isn't a problem- end of discussion. Get some rest. You don't want to relapse. If you start jerking in your sleep again, then I'll play a song for you. You seem to sleep better whenever I play."

L didn't reply right away. He stared at the ceiling fan and chewed on the back of his bottom lip. Without looking at her, he asked one final question. "Were you playing just before I woke up?"

"I was playing up until the last 5 minutes. I had just settled down into a book before you woke up."

"I see. Well then. I shall take your advice and sleep some more so that I may be fully recovered by tomorrow. Even if I'm not, there are things that need to be done." Without another word, he rolled over so he wouldn't be facing her and tried to close his eyes. As always, his mind wouldn't stop racing.

Sleeping for such a long period of time in a bed wasn't something he was accustomed to. His thoughts weren't making things any easier. _'Do I really want her to keep her distance from me?' _He struggled withthe question for a while before forcing an answer on himself._ 'Yes. This is quickly turning into an infatuation. I can't let it continue.'_

L tossed and turned for a few minutes. He was convinced that more sleep was out of the question until he heard her song. As the hypnotic melody engulfed the room, he felt his eyes getting heavier. '_No, I don't want to go back to that field again. I especially don't care to see the forest.' _He knew there was somehow a connection between the two places and her flute, but before he could think about it any further, he was asleep.


	7. Cemetery

**Cemetery**

**7.**

"Do you have everything packed and ready to go, Miss Raine?"

"Yes, Sir." Raine grinned cheerfully at Watari. It was almost check-out time and L had fully recovered from his illness. He had also buried himself back in his work. He'd spent four straight days at his computer, solving cases under the alias of Deneuve.

He had to make sure each alias returned from vacation on a different day, so he used only one for the rest of his stay in New Orleans. The others would have to come back into the picture gradually, which wouldn't be hard for the name of L- since _'L'_ only accepted cases he was personally interested in. '_L_' didn't operate on a methodical schedule. His other aliases were reserved for that.

L had avoided Raine as much as sharing a room would allow him. He had even toyed around with the idea of giving her a room of her own from that point on, but he'd have to inconvenience Watari to place cameras in every one of them. L wanted to make sure she was safe at all times.

He also wanted to make sure she wasn't contacting any third parties without his knowledge. L was pretty sure she could be trusted by herself, but old habits tend to die hard. Even if there was a 0.1% chance that Raine was planted as an enemy of any of his aliases, it couldn't be ignored.

Now, he was helping Watari load bags into the van. Raine stood close by playing with her new red yo-yo. It had only taken a few hours for her to learn how to use it properly. She had even taught herself a few tricks. When the last bag was loaded, L turned to watch Raine as she entertained herself with the classic children's toy.

She was wearing a dark grey pair of cargo pants and a black t-shirt that sported a huge butterfly outlined in white. Her hair was hanging down underneath a black cadet hat. On her left wrist was a chain bracelet. Not a chain bracelet you would buy from a jewelry store, but a bracelet made from a real chain. One could have looked at it and wondered if she'd just escaped captivity. On her index finger was a silver ring that formed into a spider in its web. L had originally thought it was hideous, but once she had put it on and wore it for awhile, it didn't look so bad.

She was sucking on a grape lollipop as she played with her yo-yo. Raine looked like a teenager ready to go to a rock concert, except she wore the look with exceptional class (meaning the look wasn't overdone and loud), mixed together with a playful childishness and a touch of attitude. On the inside, L was smiling at what he was seeing. He thought her style and the way she carried herself was adorable. On the outside, however, L's expression was serious and solid as stone. He suppressed his inner smile as he strolled over to her, hunched over with his hands buried in his pockets.

"You're quite good with that. It's hard to believe you only learned a few days ago."

Raine removed her lollipop from her mouth and grinned from ear to ear at him. Her golden eyes shined. "Thanks! It just seems to come natural. It's relaxing. With a little practice, I'd like to master a few professional tricks eventually."

L remained expressionless. "I've made arrangements to spend the early afternoon in the St. Lois cemetery with you, just as I promised. I apologize for the delay."

The smile vanished from Raine's face. "Didn't I tell you that you didn't need to entertain me? I've caused you enough trouble. I appreciate the gesture, but we really don't have to go."

"We're going. Watari is having lunch with a colleague and will pick us up later."

"Really, Ryuzaki- you don't have too…"

"I imagine the French Quarter would be a wonderful place to play your flute. You didn't get a chance to do so last time."

"Well, I guess I can… oh yeah! Hey! You just gave me an idea! Ryuzaki, I'd love to go!"

L wasn't sure what kind of idea Raine had in mind. He only knew he wanted her to play that song again. He had to figure out the connection between that song and the strange field. They said goodbye to Watari and began their walk to the French Quarter.

It was still early, so the crowds were moderate. They walked for awhile until Raine found a suitable place to play- making sure to avoid the cathedral. They had thankfully missed the morning bells. Raine sat perched against a wall and placed her hat in front of her before retrieving her flute from her backpack.

L perched beside her. It looked almost comical to see them sitting side by side in the exact same position. L teased her. "You wouldn't be trying to copy me, would you? I do tend to have a powerful influence on others." Raine didn't reply with words, but rather smiled at him and winked. L couldn't help but smile back shyly, though he wanted to hit himself for doing so.

Raine let herself relax as she brought the flute to her lips. After a few deep breaths, she began to play. L almost stood up with frustrated disappointment. _'What the… that's not…'_ She wasn't playing the song of the field and forest, but something completely different. It was beautiful, but it lacked the hypnotic captivation of the song she had always played before. It wasn't anything like the time at the mall. Most people who acknowledged her didn't actually stop in their tracks to listen.

L hugged his knees and sulked. The main reason he had decided to go through with another trip out into New Orleans had just ended in disaster. Raine played thorough the song with no complications. "Well, what did you think? I heard that song on TV yesterday. It was so pretty, I just had to play it for myself!"

L looked straight ahead at the passing legs of pedestrians. "… Swell."

She picked up her hat to count her earnings. A frown formed on her face as she shuffled through its contents. "Oh man! Why are people so cheap? This is mostly just beads, pennies, a couple business cards and a… used… piece of chewing gum." Raine made a disgusted face as she discarded the gum from her hat. She was thankful it hadn't stuck to the fabric. "I don't get it. I did so well at the mall."

"It was a lovely song, and you played it very well; but it lacked the depth and feeling of what you normally play. Perhaps you should try one more song. Why not play the one you performed at the mall? I imagine the reception will be a lot different from what you just received."

Raine looked at L hopefully. "Do you really think so? Is it that good?"

A hint of a smile formed on his face. "Trust me."

As Raine drew the flute to her lips, L pulled a pair of earplugs out of his pocket. His objective was to study the reaction of the crowd without losing himself in the song. He had to stay as focused as possible. He put the ear plugs in his ears without Raine noticing. To further make sure he didn't fall prey to the song's trance. He replayed the other song she had just played in his mind, recalling every last note.

In his pocket, he had a tape recorder. He adjusted it slightly so that the microphone wasn't muffled with the fabric of his jeans. If Raine turned around, there was a chance that she would see it, but she was too into her playing to do such. Though the song slightly differed every time she played it, L knew he only needed one version for further research. He planned on fine tuning the smaller details at a later time.

He watched in silence as a people crowded the side walk around them. There was a strange feeling of calm that surrounded the crowd. No one was talking. No one was trying to push others out of the way. There were no jittery or nervous habits present in any of them. No sudden coughs or sneezes. A few of them were crying. Others looked lost in serenity.

L noticed that the air had changed. It was fresher… lighter. A steady breeze caused his hair to tickle his face. It was then he made a mental note of something that seemed silly to him, yet it still seemed significant_. 'Every time she plays that song, the breeze picks up. Every time I've been in the field, there was always a strong breeze. It was the same in the forest. It doesn't seem logical that the breeze would hold any significance, but still… the fact that a song would have this sort of effect on people- that isn't logical either.'_

When Raine had finished playing, every person visible on the street slowly started coming out of the trance that had stopped them in their tracks and started applauding. Raine's hat was soon filled with bills and loose change. Several people would compliment her as they dropped the money in. One middle aged woman had tears streaming down her face. "That was the most beautiful melody I've ever heard."

Raine smiled and shook the woman's hand. Getting this kind of reaction had made her swell with pride, but she was also a little confused. _'Am I really that good? Why didn't I get this sort of reaction with the other song I played?' _There was also something else nagging at her.

The heaviness that she had mentioned to Ryuzaki while they were standing in front of the cathedral- the one that seemed to engulf the entire French Quarter- had lifted briefly as was playing, but now it had returned stronger than ever. It felt like a dark heaviness this time, one that was angry for having been disturbed. She wondered if she was the only one who felt it.

She wasn't sure if she should mention it to Ryuzaki. She didn't want her to think she was crazy, so she shrugged it off. After the crowd had dissolved, she picked up her hat and started to count her earnings. A huge grin crossed her face as she counted. "This is almost three times the amount I made at the mall! It's more than enough! Now I can do exactly what I wanted to do!"

L was standing beside her now, secretly admiring her beautiful smile and childlike enthusiasm. "And what exactly is it that you wanted to do aside from go to the cemetery? Does this have something to do with the idea you mentioned?"

Raine put her flute along with the money she had made into her bag and nodded happily as she put her hat back on. "Ryuzaki, let's go back to that café we visited last time we were out here!"

"Well, I suppose I am rather hun-…"

Before he could finish the word, Raine had grabbed his hand. She walked hurriedly to the street were the café was located, dragging L behind her. L was too busy struggling to keep up to really take in the fact that Raine was holding his hand. He could have easily matched her speed, but he was trying instead to register something. He only registered enough to blush for a brief moment. Had he been thinking more clearly, he would have pulled his hand away from her and insisted they walk at a normal pace. Raine obviously had the power to fog even the greatest of minds.

Once inside the café, Raine insisted that Ryuzaki sit down and wait at a table while she ordered and paid for the food. "Please, let me do this, Ryuzaki? I want to treat you! I know exactly what I'm going to get for you too! Oh, do you want coffee or tea?"

"Tea will be fine, Raine. I can't help but wonder however, why you insist on ordering for me."

"I want it to be a surprise. If you don't like what I get you, then you can order whatever you want."

L let out a low sigh and perched on a chair at one of the tables. He watched her intently as she cheerfully made small talk with the woman behind the counter and placed the order. As she waited on the food, she took her yo-yo out of her pocket and played with it, all the while watching the television set mounted on the wall.

L couldn't help but feel a little disappointed by the fact that she'd rather play with a yo-yo and watch TV instead of talking to him as she waited. Not that he had planned on saying anything. He did, after all, warn her to keep her distance in so many words. He wasn't expecting that request to irk him as much as it was doing. He almost wished he had kept his mouth shut.

When Raine finally sat down with their tray of goodies, L was surprised to see an order of beignets, bread pudding, and a triple chocolate brownie. He studied it for a moment. "This… is…"

Raine finished his sentence for him. "Everything you ordered when we were out last time. You were too sick to enjoy any of it, so I figured I could give you a second chance."

L almost smiled a genuine smile. In fact, he wanted to grin shyly from ear to ear. Luckily, he caught himself before it happened. His face remained unreadable as he brought his thumb to his mouth. "This was very thoughtful of you. Thank you for your kindness, Raine."

"Oh before I forget, here's your change." Raine slid the rest of the money she had made to the middle of the table.

"Raine, I really don't need this money. You should know that. Why don't you just keep it for yourself?"

"I don't care if you need it or not. I have to pay you something for everything you're doing for me." She began to slide the money closer to him, but his hand landed on top of hers. Raine was beyond surprised. _'Perhaps he really doesn't have a problem with touching people.'_ His hand felt so warm and comforting on top of hers.

Slowly, he guided her hand back across the table. He stared at their hands together as if trying to etch the moment into his memory. It wasn't a move he had pre-planned. It just sort of happened. His visible demeanor remained indifferent as he spoke. "Raine, you owe me nothing. Your safety is more than enough payment."

He lightly caressed her hand before releasing it. Then, as if nothing had happened, he picked up a fork and completely lost himself in his desserts. His eyes never met hers. Raine had developed chill bumps. She decided it would be best to simply shrug it off as she remembered that she had assured Ryuzaki she would keep a safe distance away from him. She shoved the money into her pocket and looked up at the TV as she sipped on her vanilla chai.

One of the top news stories caught her attention. She tuned all the noises of the café out as the news anchor spoke_. Suspected Black Rose Killer, Trevor Ganong, was released from custody today after new evidence surfaced inside what police are calling the real killer's closet. _Raine snickered at the poorly written news script. "Look at that, Ryuzaki. They arrested the wrong guy after all. Isn't that crazy? I can't believe they would put someone through that without getting all of the facts straight beforehand. That poor kid!"

Raine was curious to hear about the real culprit, but the cameras went straight to the front of a court house where a teenage boy surrounded by lawyers made his way to a car. "That must be the guy they're releasing."

"You're really interested in that case?" L inquired with a mouth full of brownie. Raine's attention turned away from the television set to see Ryuzaki watching her with curious eyes and a mouth full of chocolate.

'Well, yeah. I don't understand how they could arrest someone and proclaim all over the media that the case has been solved and then, not even a week later, come out and say that they made a mistake. It just seems a little sloppy to me."

"Mmmm… I suppose I can't disagree with that." L swallowed his bite of brownie and grabbed a beignet.

Raine turned her attention back toward the television, but the anchor was already discussing another story. "Aww. I didn't get to hear who the real killer was- assuming they didn't make another mistake."

"No. There's definitely no mistake this time. They've apprehended their killer." He had stuffed the entire beignet in his mouth. Raine was amazed she actually understood what he was saying. She studied him for a moment as she replayed his comment in her head a few times. She leaned forward and whispered her next thought.

"You sound so sure. Would that happen to be because you had some involvement?"

He finished chewing his beignet and swallowed it before answering. A smirk worked its way onto his face. "Would you like to see what I _really_ do for a living? It'll more than make up for the fact that you missed the end of the news story."

"Well, I guess you've captured my curiosity now."

"Soon after we arrive at our next destination, I will walk you through the story that has grabbed your attention." L dug into the bread pudding.

"So, you're saying you trust me enough to show me your field of work?"

"Mmmm, please don't misunderstand me. I never said I trusted you. I merely said I'd show you what I do."

"But you must trust me to some degree if you're willing to share such a thing with me. It obviously isn't something just anyone can know about."

"I have my reasons."

"Any you'd care to share with me?"

"No."

"And I'm supposed to be satisfied with that?"

"Yes."

Raine sat back in her chair and sighed. "You're so hard to talk to."

He ignored her last comment. "Are you ready to proceed to the cemetery?"

"I'm just waiting on you."

"Well then," L said as he stood from his chair, "Let us pay a visit to the city of corpses in concrete."

* * *

"I still fail to see how you find such a place appealing." L scanned the above ground tombs as he strolled through the cemetery. Nothing about the place caught his interest. He could have just as well been staring at an empty parking lot.

"Well, the above ground tombs are interesting- a lot of them look like little houses, but the main reason I'm here is so I can play a song for the ones laid to rest hear. Perhaps it will ease the loneliness and the hopelessness."

"Raine, they're dead. They cannot feel nor can they hear anything. They're little more than empty shells of what was once human- rotting away in concrete."

"But that's the real tragedy, Ryuzaki. That's the reason I need to play for them. Human beings are obsessed with immortality; so when they die, they preserve their bodies and bury them in tombs and vaults. They don't want to accept the fact that their bodies are meant to return to the dust. They would prefer to forever freeze themselves in time; but they have no idea what they're really doing."

L played with his bottom lip. "And I suppose you do?"

"When a living creature dies, the body decomposes into material that gives life to new organisms. Though the actual creature is gone, the body itself lives on by returning to the elements to create new lifespan. But the corpses here can't do that. They can't recycle themselves into new life of any form; they can only lie in the darkness, surrounded by man-made walls. No sight, no sound, no air, no chance of ever escaping. No hope of lifespan ever returning to them. All they have is their loneliness. They've been robbed of the chance to continue the journey."

"How can they possibly be lonely? They're just corpses."

"It doesn't take self awareness to feel, Ryuzaki. A plant isn't aware of itself; but take away its sunlight and it sulks. Put it next to a speaker of loud obnoxious music and it will slowly shrivel up. Don't you see?"

L remained silent. Everything she was saying reminded him of his dream_. 'Why am I so sad when I stand still?' 'No one wants to be frozen in time.' _He closed his eyes and remembered what had happened in the forest after Raine had vanished_. 'Total darkness, anchored down, no sound, no air, only… hopelessness.'_

It took him quite a while to answer her. The strange dream had startled him all over again. "I… believe I understand what you're trying to say… though you speak of plants that are alive. Corpses are not. Death is death."

Raine glared at him. "You know nothing about death or the part that it plays in the grand scheme of things."

L glared right back. "Neither do you."

They stood in silence for awhile, never breaking their glares. Raine eventually grew annoyed and broke the silence. "Why don't you just leave me alone, Ryuzaki? If you don't want to be here, then go. I'm not leaving until I've played my song."

"I'm not leaving you here alone. Muggers often like to hide behind these tombs."

"You think that just because you're a genius, you posses some great wisdom. Don't kid yourself. Stay here if you want; but don't talk to me."

"That shouldn't be too hard. I have no desire to talk to you anyway. Your words bore me." L was still glaring at her.

Raine rolled her eyes at him as she retrieved her flute from her bag. She had obviously taken his advice about not taking everything he said personal. To her, his comment sounded like words from a sulking little boy. _'Immature jerk!' _Fed up with his childishness, she turned her back to him and started playing a song.

It obviously wasn't a song meant for the living; because as beautiful as it was, it didn't have the same affect on L that the other song did. He remained fully awake and in touch with reality. He chewed harshly on his nails to cover up the fact that his bottom lip was protruding out in the form of a sulk.

L walked up and down the walkways cautiously; checking behind tombs to make sure there were no muggers hiding behind them. He listened intently to Raine's song. If there was even a slight break in the music, his attention would immediately dart back to her to make sure she was still safe.

The moment she had finished, L was once again by her side. He remained silent as she put her flute away. Her shirt was short enough to expose her belly when she moved just right. L tried with all of his might not to overly admire her. She started walking in the direction of the gate entrance to signal she was ready to go. He followed her in silence.

They were still a good ways from exiting the cemetery when Raine stopped walking and spoke. "Wait." L stopped a few feet away from her. He stared at her with a blank expression as he waited for her to speak. "Ryuzaki, I had no right to give you such an attitude. I'm really sorry."

He stared at her, but didn't reply. Instead, he made a motion with his arm towards the front gate as if to say 'Shall we proceed?' Raine sighed and continued walking. She wasn't sure what had possessed her to get so irritated over something so trivial. She wondered if the uncomfortable heaviness around her was affecting her mood. It had not lifted since she had played in the heart of the French Quarter.

As Raine pondered this, she heard a voice from within the cemetery. "So you're finally awake, I see." She spun around to see who it was, but no one was there. Her eyes scanned the rows of tombs as she remembered what Ryuzaki had said about muggers. L, meanwhile, was still walking- lost in his own little world. Raine nervously turned back around and continued walking to catch up with him. It was then she heard the voice again. "You look startled. Don't tell me you don't remember who I am."

Raine spun around again to find no one was there. She panicked and ran to L, almost knocking him off balance as she grabbed him. "Ryuzaki, there's someone else here! Do you not hear it?" She looked up at her tall companion, who was now standing up straight with his hands in his pockets. The sunlight cast a shadow over him as he looked down at her with inquisitive eyes. She couldn't see that he was blushing at the fact she had clung to him with such urgency. His expression was indifferent as he turned slightly to see what had frightened her. "It?"

"I can't tell the gender of the voice. It doesn't sound masculine or feminine, if that makes any sense. Let's just get out of here quick!" She tried pushing him forward, but his feet were planted firmly in place. He turned around and scanned the visible surroundings. Everything was dead silent, as a cemetery should be. His eyes moved to Raine, who was still clinging on to him for dear life.

"Raine, there's no one else here. I confirmed that while you were playing your flute. You're either just hearing things or you need an excuse to hold on to me." He gave her a hint of a smile, but she could only think about getting out of there.

"Please, let's just hurry and go! I'm scared!" She was on the verge of tears.

L took Raine's hand into his and gave it a slight squeeze in an attempt to calm her. "Hurry, you say? Just so you know; I can run quite fast. Like the wind, in fact." He winked at her and gave her another faint smile. "I hope you can keep up."

Without another word, L bolted toward the gate, his hand still holding on to Raine's. She had no trouble keeping up with his speed, but she was surprised to see he hadn't lying about his running ability. He really could run like the wind.

They ran out of the cemetery, but didn't stop there; they ran down the street, dodging the crowds. They were going so fast, Raine had to hold her hat on her head to keep it from blowing off. They ran until they were back in front of the coffee house they had stopped at earlier. L couldn't remember the last time he had had so much fun. In fact, he was actually happy.

He admired Raine as they both stood trying to catch their breath. Raine suddenly looked at him as if she were witnessing a miracle. "You're actually smiling a full smile. It's… wonderful!" She grinned from ear to ear; forgetting in that moment all about what she had been running from. "You certainly have pretty teeth to eat so much junk food." She poked him in the chest playfully.

When he realized he was outside of his emotional wall, he brought his thumb to his mouth and bit it hard. It wasn't enough to draw blood, but it was enough to wipe the stupid grin off of his face. "Please, don't get used to that. My body isn't accustomed to handling such emotions as happiness."

"But you seem happy when you're eating sweets."

"That's not the type of happiness I'm referring to. That aside, I trust you're feeling better now that we're far away from the cemetery and around so many people?"

"Yes, you did a splendid job of taking my mind off of whatever it was that spooked me. Thanks, Ryuzaki." She kissed him on the cheek as a gesture of thanks.

There are no words to describe what went through L's head at that moment. In fact, every word that formed in his brain was little more than gibberish. His face was a little flushed, but otherwise unreadable. He raised his hand to the cheek she had kissed and briefly closed his eyes. Raine couldn't tell from the gesture alone if she had done a good thing or a bad thing. He was just too hard to read.


	8. Black Roses

It had been a long plane ride to Sydney, Australia. Watari had settled into his hotel room for a much needed rest. He needed to be fully rested for the International Inventor's Convention; which he was scheduled to speak at during an early afternoon panel the next day. He relaxed in a cushioned chair as he read over the opening speech he had prepared. He had just picked up a pen to make a minor correction when the knock at the door came.

Watari opened the door to find his practically adopted son standing in the hallway. He motioned for L to come in before closing the door behind them. L walked over to one of the cushioned chairs and perched on it. His sleep deprived eyes stared at the floor as he spoke. "Watari, I know it's late, but there have been several things on my mind for the past couple of weeks that I've found very distracting. I was wondering if I might confide in you these thoughts."

Watari sat in the chair across from the wild haired genius, prepared to listen to whatever it was that was bothering him. "What's on your mind? Is everything alright with you and Miss Raine?"

L rested his hand on his head and briefly closed his eyes, as if trying to shake off a headache. "Raine is fine, but she's been a little jumpy since our visit to the cemetery in New Orleans. She's convinced she heard someone talking to her that wasn't really there."

"She's hearing voices? Well, I suppose it could be possible that she really did sustain some sort of head injury. Or perhaps Miss Raine is suffering from acute stress disorder. It must be difficult for her to have no idea who she is or where she came from."

"Perhaps." L pulled the tape recorder out of his pocket. "I recorded the song that Raine likes to play on her flute while we were in the French Quarter. I'm going to play it for you, Watari. Tell me what you think of it."

As the tape played, Watari gave L a strange look. "I'm not sure what it is I'm supposed to be listening for. All I hear is a strong wind blowing into the microphone. Did you say you recorded this while Raine was playing a song on her flute?"

L stopped the tape. "Yes, I was sitting right beside her while she was playing, there was a steady breeze, but it shouldn't have been strong enough to break through the windscreen on the microphone. I don't understand it."

"Sounds like a frustrating puzzle. What will your next move be?"

"While she was still in that deep sleep in Los Angeles, I took several photographs of the designs on her flute. They're currently being evaluated by an archeological and historical group located just outside of Wales. I want to know what those symbols mean. If they're part of a made up language that Raine concocted, then it will become apparent soon. I imagine their meaning has something to do with that song." L closed his eyes for a moment. "Has there been any word from forensics or missing persons?"

"I'm afraid they still have nothing. The search has been extended to an international level. It's almost as though she never existed."

"Perhaps she has a death certificate? She could be presumably dead or she could have faked her own death before she lost her memory."

Watari sighed. "I will check death records in the Los Angeles area if you insist, but you can't expect me to pick through a decade or two of death certificates from an area any larger than the state of California. It would be painfully ridiculous!"

"I understand, Watari. In truth, I'm not really sure I want her to recover her identity at this moment in time."

"What do you mean?"

L played with his bottom lip as he chose his next words. "A person can spend their entire life alone and never once feel the sting of loneliness. It isn't until that person experiences one precious moment of companionship that loneliness will introduce itself. It then becomes impossible to go on living a content life in complete solitude."

A smile crossed Watari's face. "You enjoy her company then. Would it be safe to assume you're developing feelings for her?"

L looked away from Watari and scowled. "Do you not remember me telling you years ago that I never wished to feel anything again? This is little more than a bad phase that will soon pass. In fact, it's probably little more than lust. I can't control that feeling as I can the other ones. It's biologically programmed into humans to ensure survival of the species. There's no getting around it."

"It sounds like you're trying to convince yourself more so than me."

L sighed heavily as he directed his stare towards the ceiling. "I'll never be able to love her, Watari. I'm incapable of doing so. I'm a lying manipulative monster. Even if through a miracle I was able to love her, she'd never return the sentiment." He closed his eyes. "Did I mention she's annoying? Do you have any idea how much Aspirin I've gone through since she stepped into the picture? She's a headache."

"Again, I'm not sure that I'm the one you're trying so hard to convince. If you didn't already care for the girl to some degree, then you wouldn't be so determined to protect her from whatever it is you think poses a threat to her. I can't help but be curious about what that particular threat is."

L didn't answer Watari's obvious question. "Watari, I'm protecting her because it's my job to do so."

Watari couldn't help but laugh out loud as L scowled at him. "My dear boy, it's never been in your job description to protect certain individuals in need. Almost every alias you have exists to solve crimes that have already been committed and are seemingly unsolvable. The few that are left specialize in tracking people. Not once have any of your aliases had to protect a witness or potential victim. You've taken it upon yourself to care for Miss Raine because you've grown attached to her in the short time she's been with you. You aren't protecting her because you feel obligated through your job; you're doing it because you sincerely want to."

L bit violently on his nails. _'Only Watari can have the last word with me. How does he do it? How?' _He sulked for awhile in silence. Watari brought them some tea before L decided to change the subject. "There is something else that I've been meaning to ask you about, Watari. It's bothered me for quite some time now. Does the name _Adian_ mean anything to you?"

Watari thought out loud as he stirred his tea. "Hmm. _Adian_… _Adian_… No. I'm sorry, but the name brings no memories to mind. Is it supposed to?"

L lowered his head in disappointment. "No, Watari, it's nothing significant. I just thought I would ask." Watari gave L a doubtful look.

They discussed the inventor's convention that Watari would be attending as they drank their tea together. Watari read L a few lines from his opening speech so he could critique it and L gave him a couple of suggestions. It was a touching site to see the two interact with each other as a tightly bonded father and son. In Watari's eyes, L really was his son.

Raine stood outside on the balcony; watching the waves crash on the beach just below her. The night sky was clear and the moonlight shining over the wild ocean was a beautiful sight. She closed her eyes and inhaled a deep breath of the salty air. The ocean breeze caressed her as gently as one might caress a lover.

As she stared off into the horizon of endless water, she felt something lightly tug on her chain bracelet. She slightly turned to see Ryuzaki standing beside her. He was studying her with a yearning stare as he played with the bracelet on her wrist. She laughed a little as she watched him. "What are you doing, Ryuzaki?"

His hand left her wrist. "I'm very fond of chains."

Raine rolled her eyes at him, remembering how he said he had gotten the bruises on his chest. "Yeah, I bet you are."

He picked up on what she was referring to and jumped to the defense. "Raine, I'm not a masochist. I don't find sexual fulfillment in being beaten or dominated."

"You said a female was responsible for the bruises on your chest. What was I supposed to think?"

"You were supposed to accept my answer for what it was and move on. In truth, I behaved inappropriately towards a female at a subway entrance and, as a result, she kicked me down the stairs."

"Wow, that's a lot more creative than the rough sex scenario I came up with. What exactly did you do to her that was so inappropriate?"

"I tried to give her a hug."

Raine fought to keep herself from laughing. "She kicked you down the stairs because you tried to hug her? Wow, Ryuzaki. That must have been a really bad date!"

L turned his attention to the ocean view briefly before meeting her eyes again. "I _wanted_ her to kick me."

"I thought you just said you weren't into…"

"I do not have a fetish for feeling pain and I would appreciate it if you not make the accusation again. I wanted her to kick me because I wanted to see her fighting style first hand. It wasn't something I could fully grasp by just watching videos. If she wouldn't have kicked me, then at best I would have been able to hold an amazing woman in my arms for a brief moment, even if she was struggling to get away. I have to say though; I wasn't expecting the fall down the stairs. I'm surprised I was able to get up and walk away as easily as I did." L flashed back to the memory of meeting Naomi Misora face to face. He had managed to catch the scent of her perfume when he had tried to hug her. He licked his lips just thinking about it.

Raine gave him a strange look as she tried to process everything he had just said. "You have a very strange way of doing things, Ryuzaki. What sort of fighting style is worth so much trouble?"

"Capoeira."

"Capoeira? I've seen that style! What a beautiful form of fighting! I can see the appeal! Actually, it seems like I remember seeing something in one of the Sydney entertainment papers about a capoeira demonstration the day after tomorrow."

L's eyes widened instantly. "A demonstration… I see…" He pressed his index finger to his lips while losing himself in his thoughts. It wasn't until he felt her embracing him that he put his fantasies of being a great fighter to the side.

He tilted his head down to confirm that Raine indeed had her arms around him. Butterflies started to form in his stomach instantly. L buried his left hand in his pocket. On his right hand, the tip of his index finger that had rested on his bottom lip was slowly being sucked into his mouth and pressed against his tongue. Though he did not return her embrace, he rested his head on top of hers and closed his eyes.

It was then he began taking in the entire scene. The sound of the waves, the salty air with its ocean breeze, the scent of Raine's hair; he opened his eyes and took in the moonlight sky hovering above the ocean. _'This environment is causing me to lose my will power. I can't let it tempt me into wrapping my arms around her and serenading her with kisses.'_

L closed his eyes one more time. "Raine…what are you doing?"

She answered without letting go. "I guess I was curious to see if you had actually taken it upon yourself to try and learn capoeira since you went through all the trouble of… studying it. Either the answer is no or I'm not using your method right. I've gotta say though; it really is nice to hold on to such an amazing person, even if the hold isn't returned. I'm assuming because of that… I don't fit your idea of amazing." She half laughed as she said it in an attempt to make it sound like a joke.

It was then she felt his arms slowly wrapping around her. She closed her eyes and let herself slip into a state of bliss. For the first time, he was returning the embrace (not simply hanging on so he wouldn't fall on the floor like the time he was sick). He had in fact, lost most of his will power. His brought his lips closer to Raine's ear. His hair tickled the side of her face, causing her to blush. His voice was soft and inviting.

"Raine, don't ever believe that you are anything less than amazing."

Raine closed her eyes and tightened her hold on him. She could feel his breath against her ear. It was a moment that she had been completely unprepared for. A yearning inside her suddenly grew; one that wanted to know and feel every fiber of his being. The ocean scenery was obviously great for awakening certain desires. She stuttered her reply. "W-what exactly is it t-that makes me so amazing?"

He smiled as he played with her hair. "I'm not sure if you're aware of this, but I despise it when people touch me. I try to avoid human contact unless it's absolutely necessary."

She had the thought to pull away from him, but Ryuzaki obviously read her mind. He pulled her closer to him and held onto her like a child holds on to a favorite stuffed animal. Raine was completely confused. His actions completely contradicted his words.

"Ryuzaki, that doesn't make any sense. You've taken my hand without any urgent reason several times; and now you're holding on to me as though…"

He loosened his hold on her and brought a finger to her lips as he looked into her eyes. A caring smile appeared on his face. "Exactly." His lips lightly touched her forehead before he let her go. He then stepped away and stuck his hands in his pockets; his posture returned to its usual slouch. There was no longer any emotion in his face. It was as if he had temporarily been possessed in the moments before. Now, he was back to the typical unreadable Ryuzaki.

Raine was still confused. It was just too hard to think straight after the little episode she and Ryuzaki had just shared with each other. "_Exactly_? _Exactly_ what? What did you say _exactly_ to? You're way over my head sometimes, Ryuzaki."

L was fighting a heavy inner battle with himself. He prepared his next words with great reluctance, making sure not to show anymore outer emotion. "You'll have to forgive the violation, Raine. I suppose the ocean air is getting to me. I assure you, it will not happen again. I'll also need to request that you refrain from getting so close to me in the future. It only makes it more difficult for me restrain my lust."

"I'm… sorry. I won't get near you again. I just thought…"

"Whatever you thought was incorrect. I tried to warn you in New Orleans. I'm an arrogant man with a dirty mind. It isn't in your best interest to get attached to me. In fact, I won't allow it to happen." He turned away from her as he spoke his next words. His tone relaxed. "At any rate, I wasn't lying when I said you were amazing."

"What? It's hard to hear you when your back is turned and you're practically mumbling."

He turned to face her again. "If I'm not mistaken, I recall telling you in New Orleans that I would walk you through the Black Rose Murders. Is it something that still interests you?"

"Y-yes. I really would like to see what it was that made the authorities realize that they had the wrong guy." Raine was trying to hide the fact that he had just hurt her feelings.

"Well then, I will go back inside and bring up the case files, and then I'll walk you through it. It should only take a few minutes to set up my laptop." He opened the sliding glass door and had one foot inside before she stopped him. "Wait!"

He turned to face her again in silence. She hesitated, but finally found her courage. "I'm really sorry for everything, Ryuzaki. I know I must be a burden; even if you refuse to admit it. I promise you, I'll do everything in my power not to fall in love with you. If it does happen, then I'll leave so you won't have to deal with it. You have my word."

L opened his mouth to reply, but something made him choke back on the first word. He instead walked back inside, sliding the door closed behind him. He sat down at his laptop so he could bring up the files that Raine wanted to see. As he clicked through the folders, he closed his eyes and sighed heavily. Her words were playing over and over again in his head. _I'll do everything in my power __**not**__ to fall in love with you._

He stretched his hand out across his forehead and massaged his temples with his thumb and ring finger. _'Surely it wouldn't require much power to prevent such a thing. In fact, it should be able to be accomplished with minimal effort. But… that isn't how she worded it. She made it sound like there was a strong possibility that she could actually…no, I'm doing the right thing by pushing her away. I can't let myself develop feelings for her.'_ Of course, it was a little late for that.

When Raine finally came back inside, L was sitting on the floor by his laptop waiting on her. He motioned for her to join him. She settled on the floor beside him, though she made sure he still had plenty of breathing room. His dark enigmatic eyes rested on her briefly before he turned his attention to the monitor and switched on his documentary voice.

"The Black Rose group was a group of teenage males who attended Forrest Shades High School. Each member was very popular with their high school peers- the young ladies in particular. It wasn't an occult that followed a religion- but rather a twisted version of a college fraternity. One of the initiations into the group was the act of having intercourse with a female in front of the senior members. These females were apparently restrained to a surface covered in dead roses- hence the name. There have been several complaints by female students concerning the ritual. It seems it wasn't uncommon for unwilling females to be drugged and raped, though there _were_ those that actually volunteered."

L glanced at Raine to make sure she was paying attention before he continued. "Trevor Ganong was the self proclaimed leader. He was the oldest as well as a star athlete who was well liked by all of his peers and teachers. He was also the most ruthless of the group. On the occasions when unwilling females fell prey to their ceremonies, he was the one who subdued them. His subordinates were very loyal. In fact, they practically worshipped him. The group managed to keep themselves out of the public eye until bodies started turning up in wooded areas."

L opened the file that contained the yearbook photos of the Black Rose members. There were eight of them in all. Nothing stood out about any of them. The very first photo in the top left hand corner was that of Trevor Ganong. Raine recognized him as the boy she had seen on the news. He looked like a typical adolescent. He had a pretty face, but aside from that, he was very bland. Raine scrunched her nose. "I don't see what's so great about him. Those other kids must have had serious insecurities to follow a guy like him."

L didn't reply to her comment. Instead, he eyed the chain bracelet on Raine's wrist. "Hey, do you think I could hold your bracelet for awhile?"

Raine looked at her bracelet and raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

"I intend on giving it right back."

She gave an annoyed sigh and removed her bracelet for him. She half expected him to put it on, but he decided to play with it instead. He'd run his fingers across each link, tickle the palm of his hand with it… it was a… interesting thing to watch. "Ryuzaki, are you going to demonstrate something with that?"

"No. I just wanted to play with it. I'm out of cake."

Her eyebrow arched. "I… see. Well then, shall we continue with the Black Rose Murders? Are you going to show me the crime scene photos?"

L frowned at her. "None that have bodies in them. I'd never expose you to something like that."

"Are they really that graphic?"

"I'm afraid so. It isn't really the images themselves that are so disturbing. It's putting an identity on the corpse that pinches certain nerves. Once you learn about whom the person was before the photographs, the images become unbearable to look at. "

"I guess you see photos like that so often that you're pretty much immune to it."

"I've always been immune to it. I have no use for such emotions as sorrow or pity."

"Oh, right. You've got your heart and humanity locked away in a dungeon somewhere." Raine looked away from the computer and frowned.

L pretended to ignore her comment. He rubbed his thumb across the chain bracelet he was still playing with and dived back into the case he was reviewing with her. "Taylor Cokern. 15 years old- the youngest of the Black Rose members. He was found in a wooded area only yards away from the group's ceremonial location. He had been drugged, bound, sodomized with a long blade and stabbed to death. One of his eyes had been gouged out. A single dead rose was left with the body. Visible footprints of size 13 hiking shoes were found. The body itself had been dragged to its location."

L paused for a moment so Raine could finish reading the police report on the screen. She motioned to him to continue when she had finished. L pulled up a picture of a teenager in a baseball jersey, grinning at the camera. He appeared a lot more athletic than the first guy. "Jonathan Gibbs. 17 years old- second in command to Trevor Ganong. His body was found in another wooded area approximately 7 miles from the body of Taylor Cokern a week and a half later. The same shoeprints were found at the scene. The body was in the same condition as the first. A powerful sedative was found in his system and he was bound with chains. The first one had been bound with rope. A dead rose was found on his chest."

After Raine scanned the police report of the second crime scene, L briefly summed up the other victims as he clicked on their pictures. "The body of Collin Wells was found 2 weeks later, followed by Rachael Lunderberg, Derek Fairmen and lastly, Tracey Cymbel. Collin and Derek were both Black Rose members. Rachael and Tracey were Trevor Ganong's girlfriends."

"Were they all found in the same condition as the first two- the same manner of death and the same footprints?"

"Yes. However, there were semen samples collected from Derek and the two girls. DNA analysis traced it to Trevor Ganong. The footprints left at each scene matched a pair of his hiking shoes and a hunting knife that carried traces of the last victim's blood was found in his father's shed."

"Had the women been sexually assaulted as well as sodomized? Was the second victim the only one bound with chains?"

"The answer to both of your questions is yes."

"And, Trevor Ganong is innocent."

"Correct."

Raine thought for a minute. "Hey, Ryuzaki… is it alright if I try to figure the rest of this out on my own?"

A hint of a smile appeared on his face. "You would like to play detective then? I suppose I have no problem with that." He handed the chain bracelet back to her. "Do you want a piece of cake? I'm about to order room service."

"Yeah, that would be great; but no cherry toppings on mine, please. Do you mind showing me all of the Black Rose files? Including the crime scene photos? You said yourself that the photos weren't so bad if they're just looked at as corpses and not people." Raine knew she was asking a lot, but she looked at him hopefully.

L frowned at her. He didn't want to expose her to the darker side of his work. "Raine… I won't show you any of the graphic ones, but I _will_ show you the ones that are necessary to solve the puzzle."

"Fair enough."

L opened several folders and files, making sure each were in different windows and easy to access. "Here are photos of the footprint plasters taken from each crime scene. The police reports are the minimized windows and the folder contains video files of several girls who came forward claiming to be rape victims of the Black Rose group. Their statements were videotaped without their knowledge."

It was pretty obvious that he was feeding her the significant clues. There was obviously something more to the footprints than a first glance could catch. Raine was sure there was a reason for Ryuzaki bringing the videos to her attention as well. In short, he had already sorted out what was significant and what wasn't for her. The only thing left for her to do was find out what made the things laid out for her so significant.

She went from window to window as she tried to sort the case out in her mind. L had grabbed a bag of gummy bears and was now sitting several feet away against a wall, watching her intently. By the time she spoke again, L had already ordered and received room service. "The bodies were dragged to their location… not carried."

L perked up. "Yes, that's correct."

"They were also still alive."

"Correct again."

Raine maximized a photo of one of the plaster footprints. "Ryuzaki, these footprints are the key, aren't they?"

She turned around to find Ryuzaki inches away from her face. His index finger rested on his bottom lip. Startled, Raine jumped back. "What the hell, Ryuzaki? You lectured me earlier about leaving a safe distance between us, yet now you're right up in my face. I don't understand you!"

He didn't bother to back away. "I'm just eager to hear your thoughts on the footprints."

She rolled her eyes and turned her attention back to the monitor. "None of the footprints leading to the murder sites were completely legible; meaning something was dragged right behind them to distort the print as it passed over. Looking at the photo of the original print and the ground around it, the drag patterns indicate that the victims tried to put up a struggle as they were being dragged."

She moved the cursor over a plastered footprint that led to the scene. "This footprint leading to the scene is more legible than the others. The depths of the print indicate that most of the killer's weight was on the toe part of the shoe. That's understandable considering they were dragging a body, but it also suggests the killer wasn't very strong. Trevor Ganong's profile indicates he was an active body builder and on the wrestling team."

She switched to another footprint plaster. "This footprint was found walking away from the scene. There's nothing to drag of course, so the print is a lot more crisp and undisturbed. What makes it so interesting is this- even though the killer is no longer dragging anything, all of the weight is still on the front part of the foot. There's nowhere near as much weight on the heel of the shoe."

"So what does that suggest to you?"

"Perhaps the killer isn't really a size 13, but a much smaller size. Honestly, I'm starting to think it could be a female."

L's eyes lit up. "Very good. Your visual and analytical skills are very impressive."

Raine smiled shyly. "Is it possible one of the girls in the videos is the real killer?"

A huge smile formed on L's face. "As I said earlier, you're nothing less than amazing."

Now she was blushing. She hid her face under her hair so he wouldn't see it. "But… I've watched the interviews. I have no clue which one of those girls is the real Black Rose Killer. I don't understand how Ganong's semen ended up on the last three bodies, but I imagine the shoes and the knife were planted on his property."

"Very close. The knife was in fact planted. The shoes were not. The killer had a matching pair of size 13 shoes that were found in the back of her closet. Unlike Trevor Ganong's shoes, they were filthy and splattered with blood."

Raine moved away from the computer enough for L to comfortably access it. He pulled up the folder with the video files. "In order to pinpoint which one of these girls is the true killer; we need to put a little criminal profiling into play. I want you to think about what kind of person the killer is. Not by gender alone, but by character, what drives her, what goes on in her mind. After you develop a clearer picture of what you're looking for, watch the videos again and pay close attention to voice tone, mannerisms, and eye contact. The killer should stick out like a sore thumb."

Raine took a bite of the cake that L had set aside for her and thought in silence. It was then, something dawned on her. "Ryuzaki, do you have any footage of Trevor Ganong?"

He couldn't stop smiling at her. Even though the case was pretty cut and dry, he wasn't expecting her to make it as far as she had. It made his infatuation grow even stronger. He wanted to touch her again, but he knew it would only contradict his earlier words to her. He was in for a long battle with himself. He bit the inside of his bottom lip as he smiled.

"You really are on a roll aren't you? I have to admit, I'm beyond impressed considering this is your first case."

L pulled up an interrogation video of Trevor Ganong. Raine studied the teen carefully. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. He was agitated and nervous. He stared at the floor for most of the interview. One thing caught Raine's eye. It was a nervous habit that he had. It was actually irritating to watch, or she more than likely wouldn't have noticed. She made a special note of it and asked Ryuzaki to play the video files of the girls again.

One by one, she watched the videos. Nothing at all stood out about any of the girls. Each one seemed sincere. Two or three were very nervous and timid. One was on edge and angry. They were very typical behaviors of a rape victim coming out into the open to talk about it, but nothing unusual. Raine was starting to get frustrated, and there were only two videos left.

L brought up the next video and watched with her in silence. He glanced over at her at the right moment, to see if she had caught it; but she remained silent. The video ended. As he prepared to pull up the last video, Raine made a request. "After the next video, can we watch the one before it one more time?"

"Of course. Did something catch your eye?"

"It could be nothing, but it definitely stood out."

They watched the last video, but nothing stood out at all. L went back to the one that had caught Raine's attention and played it again. "Ryuzaki, stop right there!"

L held back a smile as he froze the image. She had found it. He stared at her and waited. "Well?"

"Do you see what she's doing with her hand?"

"If you're referring to the way she nervously drums her knuckles against the table, then yes."

"Trevor Ganong does the same thing. One of them had to have picked it up from the other."

"True, but you have to remember that most of these girls knew Trevor Ganong quite well. It wouldn't be all that unusual for one to pick up his mannerisms."

Raine began to get frustrated again. "You said to profile the killer, and that's exactly what I did. She's a young female who once felt a very strong attraction to Trevor Ganong. In fact, it was more than likely an obsession. For whatever reason- more than likely the ceremonial rape- her little world of yearning and admiration she had built around him eventually shattered. Her abnormal infatuation turned into rage, and her obsession changed from a crush to a desire to get revenge. She was so obsessed with him; she wanted to be like him. She dressed like him and copied his mannerisms until it eventually became a part of who she was. That has to be right! Am I wrong?"

L resisted the urge to undress her with his eyes. She had hit the nail on the head and his yearning had hit an all time high. He managed to show only the smallest hint of a smile. "My dear, I'm starting to wonder if you're not somehow affiliated with law enforcement. You just figured out what the original investigating officers were too incompetent to notice."

Raine grinned from ear to ear. "Thanks Ryuzaki, but I don't think I could see myself in that field of work. It would be too depressing; and the annoying bad habit was the only thing that gave the killer away. Anyone could have spotted it. So, Trevor Ganong was framed. I still don't understand how his semen managed to make it to the crime scene; and how were the girls sexually assaulted?"

"Ariel Matine pulled Ganong's used condoms out of his garbage can and planted his semen inside the rectums of the last three victims by dousing the blade with it. The females were unfortunate enough to feel the blade in more than one orifice; hence the sexual assault."

"And why was the second victim bound with chains instead of rope like the other ones?"

"That within itself wasn't really significant. It could have been all she had access to at the time. If there was indeed any significance, it was more than likely used because Jonathan was the strongest of all the victims and had a higher tolerance of the sedative Ariel used to subdue them. It could have been symbolic as her prize kill or she might have used the chains as a way of seducing him into her trap."

"And the females were killed not only out of jealousy, but to further connect the crimes to Trevor?"

"Yes."

"I see. That's interesting. It's like a completed puzzle. And so concludes the Black Rose Murder case."

"Yes."

"Thanks for sharing this with me, Ryuzaki. It was fun!" She almost reached out to give him a hug without thinking; but managed to catch herself at the last second.

"The pleasure was all mine."

An awkward silence followed as L closed out all of the case files. Raine's thoughts went back to earlier events out on the balcony. "Hey… Ryuzaki?"

"Yes?"

"I just… wanted to apologize about earlier. I shouldn't have hugged you out there. I should have learned you didn't like to be touched when I hugged you back in New Orleans. You're obviously only comfortable with human contact if you're the one that initiates it."

L closed his laptop and stared at it. He couldn't bring himself to look at her. He had no idea which way to go. He only knew his desires wanted him to go in one direction and his stubbornness wanted him to go in the other.

"Raine… you don't have to apologize. You haven't done anything wrong. In all honesty, I'm the one who needs to apologize. It's just…" His voice trailed off. His eyes moved away from his laptop and met with hers. There was sadness in his dark eyes. "I told you in the park that I was incapable of loving; but recently something has awakened inside of me that poses a threat to my cold little black heart. I'm afraid I don't know how to deal with it." He started to move closer to her, but then stopped himself. "Raine… may I… approach you?"

"I-I guess so."

"You _guess_ so?"

"Yes. I meant _yes_."

He moved closer to her and reached out for her hand, stopping half way there. Raine extended her hand to meet his after a little hesitation. He gently took her hand into his and brought to his lips; just as he had done in the park. Raine was blushing profusely.

"Did you mean what you said earlier? Will you really leave me if… you know?"

"Only if you want me to mean it, I guess."

"You… _guess_." He released her hand and pulled back. It was becoming more and more obvious to Raine that he had absolutely no idea how to deal with his emotions.

"Then I suppose I have no other choice but to do everything in my power to keep that from happening."

"You mean the leaving part or the falling in love part?"

He dodged the question. "I've realized something tonight."

"And what would that be?"

"It isn't my job to protect you. It's my desire."

"I'm not sure I really know how to reply to that."

"You don't have to. At any rate, it's very late and I imagine you're tired. Perhaps you should get some rest. I have some work to do."

"Goodnight, Ryuzaki."

He nodded slightly and began moving his work area to the far side of the hotel room so he wouldn't keep her awake. Raine sank into the bed and closed her eyes. She would have fallen asleep almost instantly, but something didn't want her to.

"Well, that little scene was just as sweet as it was sickening."

Raine bolted up. It was the same voice she had heard in the cemetery. L walked over to her in concern. "Is everything alright?"

"That voice! It's here! Did you not here it?"

L looked at her curiously. "Raine, there's no one here aside from you and myself. Would you like a sedative to help you sleep? I can ask Watari to bring you one."

"If it will make that voice go away; then yes!"

L pulled his cell phone and called Watari. "Watari, Raine is hearing voices again and needs a sedative to sleep. Do you think you can bring her one of yours?" Watari agreed. He was there five minutes later. Watari gave Raine the pill and a drink and then slipped to the other side of the room to talk to L. "Acute stress disorder?"

"Let's hope that's all it is, Watari. Let's just hope. The list of things that don't add up about her doesn't need to get any longer."


	9. On the Beach

**Author's Note: There are several things to mention about this chapter. First of all. Some of the dialog is spoken in other launguages. I wrote everything in English, but I wrote the actual translation of the used launguage beside several of them in parenthesis just so people would get a better feel for what o they would actually be hearing if they were actually there. I'm only going to do that in this chapter unless I get requests to continue. The translations come straight from the Google translater, so if it isn't right, take it up with them. I couldn't include every tranlation because the characters themselves were different. **

It was mid-afternoon when Raine finally awoke from her sedated sleep. Still groggy, she sat up in bed and caught a small sliver of light shining through the crack in the curtain. Ryuzaki had kept the room dark for her while she slept. She yawned and stretched as she looked around the room. Ryuzaki was sitting on the far side, speaking in Russian through a microphone that was connected to his computer.

Raine had no idea that Ryuzaki could speak another language, though it didn't really surprise her. She listened to him intently as his smooth voice fluently spoke. Not only was it turning her on; it was also amazing her. It wasn't so much the fact that he could speak another language; but rather, the fact that she could understand it. She waited on him to finish his conversation before giving him any indication that she was awake.

"So, what other languages can you speak?"

Ryuzaki turned to face her, his eyes opened wide. Raine had just spoken to him in Russian. He slowly rose to his feet and strolled over to the bed. He sat on the edge and brought his face inches away from Raine's. He studied her intently and replied in English. "I'd like to ask you the same question."

Raine shrugged. She had no idea how many languages she knew, so she decided to put it to the test. "Try me, Ryuzaki. Say something in another language, if you know any."

He tried French first. "There are too many things about you that aren't adding up. I find the whole situation maddening." (Il ya trop de choses sur vous qui ne sont pas l'addition . Je trouve toute la situation exaspérante.)

She replied back in French. "I'm just as baffled as you are." (Je suis aussi perplexe que vous.)

His eyes narrowed at her. Spanish was his next try. "I find it hard to believe you remember these languages so fluently, yet you have no idea what the images on your flute mean." (Me resulta difícil creer que te acuerdas de estos idiomas, de manera fluida , pero no tienes idea de lo que las imágenes en su flauta de decir.)

She replied back in Spanish, without hesitation. "I don't know, Ryuzaki! The images look familiar, but I still can't pinpoint exactly what they mean. I don't remember." (No sé , Ryuzaki ! Las imágenes tienen un aspecto familiar, pero no puede precisar exactamente lo que significan. No me acuerdo )

"You're lying." The Italian rolled off his tongue seductively. (Stai mentendo)

"I'm not lying!" She shot back. (Non sto mentendo)

"You're hiding something from me. I know you are." This time it was Cantonese.

"I really don't care what you think."

Ryuzaki brought his face even closer to hers. Any closer and they might as well have been kissing. In the most seductive Japanese tone he could manage, he tried one more language. "Are you aware that I fantasize about you on a nightly basis?"

Raine blushed a deep red. "No, but I'd be lying if I told you that I've never thought about you in that way as well." Her Japanese was just as flawless as his. Call it sudden impulse, but she closed her eyes and moved in to let her lips touch his. Unfortunately, Ryuzaki had already pulled away.

"That's enough, Raine. I don't need to know anymore." He had switched back to English. Ryuzaki was up and walking back to his computer. He sat down and stared at the screensaver that had popped up on his monitor in silence.

Raine was a little disappointed that he had pulled away so soon, but she was also a little relieved. She remembered what had happened on the balcony the night before and sighed. If that kiss would have landed, it would have more than likely angered him.

Ryuzaki obviously had nothing else to say, so Raine got out of bed and repeated the yawn and stretch routine. A vase full of purple roses caught her attention. It was sitting on the night table by the bed. "Oh, wow! What beautiful flowers!"

"You like them, I assume?"

"They're gorgeous!"

"Yes, I suppose they are pleasant." He had yet to stop staring at his screensaver.

"Are these from…"

"They aren't from me. They were delivered from a member of the hotel staff earlier this morning. It's apparently a complimentary gift for staying here."

Raine tried to hide her disappointment. "Oh. That's interesting. Purple roses are supposed to mean enchantment. What a strange arrangement for them to pick as a complimentary gift. It's sort of weird."

"Indeed it is."

She stared at his back, slightly frustrated that he preferred to look at a screensaver rather than face her while they were talking. "Look, I know you're probably a little taken aback from the multi-lingual thing, but you're not planning to sit there all day and stare at that fancy looking _L_ on your screen, are you?"

"No. I have other plans. If you would like to spend the rest of the day on the beach, please feel free to do so. I would prefer it if you would stay within view of this hotel so that I may see you from the balcony. If you don't think you can do that, then I'll have to accompany you."

"Geez, you sound like a parent. Honestly, I can't really see myself enjoying the beach if I don't have a swimsuit. I'll just stay here and watch the surfers from the balcony."

"If you insist on such a thing, then I shall escort you to the surf shop down the street; though I'd really rather not see you in a swimsuit."

"Well _that_ makes me feel great. You don't have to give me a complex. You can be such a jerk sometimes!"

"It wasn't meant as an insult."

Raine rolled her eyes and retreated to the bathroom. She was still feeling a little drowsy, so a shower was just what she needed to fully wake up. Her mind raced as she stood under the warm stream of water. _'Why do I know all of those languages? I wonder if I can speak anymore of them. It seems like I would know something as important as what languages I speak. No wonder Ryuzaki thinks I'm hiding something from him. This whole thing is really just… out there!'_

When Raine came out of the bathroom, she saw Ryuzaki waiting by the front door. She looked puzzled. "Are we going somewhere?"

"Perhaps your mind is waterlogged from the abnormally long shower. If you'll recall the conversation we were having 45 minutes ago, I believe I told you I would escort you to the surf shop for a swimsuit."

"It was just an offer if I remember correctly."

"Can we just go and get it over with?"

"Sure, I guess."

"You _guess?" _Ryuzaki's eyes narrowed. _"_That reply is starting to annoy me."

Raine didn't bother to apologize. Something about Ryuzaki's attitude seemed even more distant than usual. They walked to the surf shop together in silence.

It was very late afternoon by the time they got to the beach. Ryuzaki had decided it would be best to accompany Raine. However, he wasn't expecting that to mean he'd have to wear board shorts. He had made the mistake of telling Raine he would be on the beach with her while they were still in the surf shop. Raine insisted he buy something for himself to wear on the beach. Apparently, it wasn't a good idea to sit in the summer heat all day in a pair of jeans and a long sleeve shirt.

Now, he was sitting uncomfortably on a beach chair. It wasn't the type of chair he could perch on without creating a funniest home video moment, so he laid back in it lazily. He chewed on his thumbnail nervously with one hand while the other dangled over the chair and traced small circles in the sand.

His eyes danced as they watched Raine slip out of her shorts and remove her tank top to reveal a two piece black swimsuit outlined in white. Her long ringlets were pulled back in a high ponytail. Ryuzaki sucked on his thumb as he took in every curve of her body. As he admired the almost oval shaped birthmark on the lower left side of her abdomen, his toes started to play with each other.

Raine removed a bottle of sunscreen from her bag and started to rub herself down. A small moan escaped Ryuzaki's lips as he watched her rub the sunscreen over her legs. He hadn't been on the beach any longer than 10 minutes, and he could already feel the sweat trickling down his face. It was then he noticed he was fully aroused, and his shorts weren't doing a good job of hiding it. _'This is exactly why I didn't want to see her in a swim suit.'_

He grabbed a folded towel and put it over his lap to hide the evidence. He turned his attention towards the ocean in an attempt to forget about his attractive companion, but his mind was already acting out a sexual fantasy with her right there in the sand. His tongue began playing with his thumb as though it were another tongue.

"Ryuzaki?"

"Hmmm…yes?"

Raine had no clue that Ryuzaki's mind was deep in the gutter. He wore his same unreadable expression as he sucked on his thumb. As long as that folded towel remained where it was, he had nothing to worry about.

She almost hesitated to ask him for anything since she had no idea what kind of mood he was in. "Listen, I really hate to ask you this, but I'm having trouble getting my back. I was sort of wondering if you could help me out a little."

Raine almost started biting her own nails as she awaited his answer. She knew he hated touching people (or so he claimed). He was staring at her hard, but he wasn't replying. After what seemed like hours of silence, Raine broke the ice. "Hey, don't worry about it. I should have known better than to ask. I can get someone else to help me. I really don't want my back to get burned."

She turned her attention to the towel on Ryuzaki's lap. "Oh hey, thanks for remembering to bring my towel. I completely forgot! You don't have to hold it for me though. I'll put it over here with my bag."

She reached over and grabbed the towel. As she was pulling it off of him, he sprung up like a jack-in-the-box. "Raine, no!" He was no longer in his chair. Both of his feet were planted in the sand. He hugged his knees as he normally did; only this time, he was doing it to cover up something rather than increase his deductive reasoning.

Raine looked at him in bewilderment. "What the hell is wrong with you today, Ryuzaki?" Irritated, she grabbed her bottle of sunscreen and stormed off toward a couple of surfers who were getting their boards ready to take out. Ryuzaki looked down at himself to confirm the sudden disappearance of his erection. He stood up slowly as he watched Raine talking to the two surfers.

One was blonde and well built with a nice tan, more than likely a local. The other had red hair and was a little scrawnier. He could have been a local as well. Ryuzaki didn't give a damn either way. He glared hard at them as they smiled and talked at Raine, all the while looking her over from top to bottom.

She handed the bottle of sunscreen to the blonde one and turned her back to him. She moved her pony tail out of the way and the surfer massaged the lotion on for her. Ryuzaki clenched his fists tightly. It took everything in him to remain where he stood instead of stomping over there to get her away from them. He threw himself back into the chair so hard, it tilted back, almost falling over.

After he and the chair regained full balance, he brought his feet up to rest on the metal rod that made the front edge of the chair. It was extremely uncomfortable in a chair made like that, but he needed to hug his knees while he sulked. It was just something he always did.

Raine talked with the surfers for quite a while before returning to her beach chair. Ryuzaki was still sulking. He didn't even acknowledge that Raine had returned to his side. Raine pretended not to notice so she wouldn't have to deal with it. "Those guys are really nice! They're about to go out there and surf! I can't wait to see them in action! I wish I could go out there with them, but I'm not sure if I can swim or not. Derek said he could teach me to swim later. He's the one with the red hair."

Ryuzaki refused to look at her. "I suppose luck is on your side then." His voice was flat and indifferent.

"Didn't you say you had other plans today, Ryuzaki?"

"I finished most of the cases I was working on while you were in the shower. A majority of them didn't require a lot of thought. The few that remain are on hold until the forensics labs have concluded their testing. I'm not in the mood to look for new case material at this moment in time, so the rest of my day is free. Do you consider my presence here an inconvenience?"

"No, it's not that. I just wanted to make sure you didn't change your plans solely on my account." She sank into her chair and waved at the two surfers as they ventured out into the water. She then looked in her bag to retrieve a bag of gummy bears. "I brought you some of these in case you start having sugar cravings." She tossed the bag into his lap. He stared at the gummy bears. The sight of them put an end to his sulking, or more so the fact that Raine had thought enough of him to bring them.

He perked up in his chair and lost himself in the indulgence of soothing his sweet tooth. Perhaps it had been the lack of sugar that had put him in such a sour mood to begin with. Raine watched the surfers in amazement as they rode the waves. She wondered to herself if they were letting go of all their thoughts and just losing themselves as they glided across the waves; or if they were using every ounce of concentration they had to keep their balance.

After they had finished surfing, the two young men walked over to where Raine and Ryuzaki were sitting. "You guys were great out there!" Raine smiled at them brightly as she praised them. The blonde one looked at Ryuzaki as if he were an animal in a zoo. "Hey dude! Nice to meet you! I'm Chip and this is Derek. You must be Raine's… brother?"

Ryuzaki shot the two a quick glance as he held up a gummy bear in his quirky way and dropped it in his mouth. "Mmm… No. Actually, I'm the man that Raine is currently living with." He continued to eat his gummy bears without another word; looking extremely happy with himself.

Both of the young men kept their smiles, but the way they were blinking indicated that they were slowly and painfully registering what Ryuzaki had just said. "Ummm, well… it was nice meeting the two of you, but we've got to go meet up with a friend further down the beach."

Raine looked a little disappointed that they were rushing off, but she knew why they were in such a hurry to leave. She sighed as she waved goodbye to the surfers. She turned to Ryuzaki to say something, but decided to let it go. She sank back into her chair and stared out at the ocean.

Ryuzaki finished up his bag of gummy bears and finally decided to be sociable. "I was expecting you to be upset with me for chasing those two away."

"Why should I be upset? You were technically telling them the truth. I just hate they were only talking to me because they thought that I was cute. I really would have liked those swimming lessons; though I'm sure I would have probably ended up getting groped before it was over."

"I know how to swim."

She rolled her eyes. "Well then, cake and cookies for you."

His eyes grew big. "Really? What kind?"

"I was being sarcastic!"

"I'm well aware. I was merely following up with my own sarcasm. I believe it's safe to assume now that you are indeed upset with me."

She sat straight up in her chair and leaned closer to his. "Listen, I don't know what your issues are, but your recent behavior isn't very becoming. Ever since we've arrived in Sydney; you've been pouty, indecisive, childish and moody. You're worse than a female and frankly, I'm getting sick of your wishy-washy attitude."

He reflected on her words before answering. "I suppose there's truth to that."

She waited on him to add to that comment, but he didn't. She sighed and sank back into her chair again. "Just forget I said anything."

"I'm afraid I can't. My memory is way too sharp." He stood from his chair and extended his hand to help her up. "It's getting a little late for sun bathing. Would you care to go for a walk with me?"

"I guess. But don't start with your romantic antics only to pull away and say something that completely hurts my feelings. I can't deal with you leading me on all the time like that!" She helped herself up instead of accepting his hand. If he didn't like being touched, then she had no intention of doing so.

He shoved his hands in his as they started to walk, only to discover he had no pockets. "It sounds to me as though you're not opposed to the idea of us being romantically involved."

"Like it matters. I'm not making myself anymore venerable to you than I already am."

"I suppose you're right. It doesn't matter."

They walked along the beach in silence as dusk started to approach. Both were lost in their own thoughts, wondering if they should pursue their obvious attraction to each other or leave it for the '_what could have been'_ section of their life. They had walked a little over a mile when Raine noticed a lifeguard stand in the distance. The lifeguard was off duty for the day, so it was free to rest on. Raine picked up her pace and headed for it. "Ryuzaki, can we rest there for awhile before we head back?"

"I have no problem with that."

Ryuzaki helped Raine climb up before climbing up himself. They sat in silence for awhile and enjoyed the view. As usual, Raine was the one who finally decided to break the ice. "I'm sorry about what I said earlier. I guess I just feel at times like you're trying to play some sort of emotional game with me."

He ran his thumbnail over his teeth. "I do enjoy playing games (I have to keep my life interesting somehow), but I haven't been intentionally playing one with you. You don't have to apologize for what you said since you were only speaking the truth. My behavior has been exactly as you stated."

He turned to see her face but she was still admiring the ocean view. He admired her as he continued to run his nail over his teeth. It took her a minute to notice. "Why are you staring at me like that? I'm sorry I didn't have a reply to your last comment."

"It isn't that at all. It's just… you're very beautiful."

She knew she was blushing. She quickly turned away from him so he couldn't see. "Ryuzaki, I told you not to start with the romance and flattery. It isn't sincere."

"My desire to be closer to you is very sincere. I'm only being insincere when I push you away."

"And I'm supposed to take you seriously?"

"Yes." He moved a little closer to her. "May I ask you something?"

"I gue—y-yes. Go ahead."

"When you walked off the boat that night in New Orleans, thinking that I was a criminal… what made you decide to come back? Why didn't you just turn me into the police? Anyone else would have done so."

"You were really sick and I was worried. I should have never left you alone in that condition."

"But you came back and took it upon yourself to care for me…"

"Perhaps I was just returning the favor."

"Are you sure that's all it was?"

"… I don't really know."

"Whatever the reason, I never properly expressed my gratitude." He took her hand and kissed it.

"That seems to be a favorite gesture of yours."

"I know of no other way to appropriately express my fondness of you. If it bothers you, then I shall refrain from doing it again."

"No, it's very sweet. I guess I'm just expecting you to clam up at any moment and take back everything you just said."

"I have no doubts anymore. I've made up my mind."

"Is that right? And when exactly did that miracle occur?"

"I reached a final decision after you tossed me that bag of gummy bears."

Raine started to laugh. "Are you being serious? All it took was a bag of candy to win your heart?"

"I wouldn't say it won my heart so much as it soothed my inner demon."

"Yeah, but still… a bag of gummy bears?"

He looked up at the sky to hide the annoyed look on his face. It was dark now and the stars were out. "Just accept it."

"Ok. I'm sorry. I just think it's really cute."

"Call it what you like." He played with his lip as he spoke. "I thought more about it while we were walking and I've decided to only pursue my interest in you if you understand that I'm not an easy man to get close to. I have a very bad habit of lying and playing games, though I have no intention of doing such things to you if there's even the slightest possibility it will cause you grief. And of course, as you've seen, I can be very childish at times. If you think you can get around that, then I would like it very much if we could work towards something more than what we are now."

She studied his face. Though he wore no expression, his eyes said it all. "You really do mean it this time, don't you?"

"Yes. Of course, if the sentiment isn't returned, I understand. I won't make any unwanted advances. I'll even see to it that you have your own room if it makes you more comfortable." He left out the part about the cameras.

"Ryuzaki, I'm not really sure I understand this sudden change. Are you trying to say that your attitude the past couple of days has been due to the fact that you're starting to develop feelings for me?"

She felt a slight tug on her wrist. Ryuzaki was playing with her bracelet again. "I'm afraid that's exactly what I'm saying. I've always believed I was incapable of caring about anyone, but it seems you've extinguished that belief. I struggled to accept it at first, but I'm not going to restrain myself from what I want due my reluctance to admit I can feel things just as any other human being. I've had to deal with too many emotions in the past month to truly claim I'm immune to them."

"Emotions, other than desire?"

"More than I can count really. Today alone, I've experienced lust, jealousy and frustration." He let go of her bracelet and hugged his knees and stared down at the sand. "I've also had to deal with hopelessness, sadness, longing, compassion, happiness, loneliness, guilt… need I really go on?"

Raine looked shocked. "But you always appear so indifferent. I had no idea you were dealing with so much! I really hope you haven't felt all of that because of me!"

"It isn't all you. I had the unfortunate experience of standing in front of a cathedral while its bell was ringing. The high fever I had at the time made it seem like my nightmare was becoming a reality... again. There was also an incident involving the case I was working on the night I found you. Let's just say not everything went as planned." He looked at her and hesitated before he continued. "Then of course, there's the dream I have whenever you play that song on your flute. I've yet to make any sense of it."

Raine looked puzzled. "It happens whenever I play my flute? But you're normally awake when I'm playing. What sort of dream is it?"

Ryuzaki told her all about the endless field and the depression he felt whenever he was standing still. He decided to omit the part about the forest. Raine listened intently as he talked. She was very familiar with the field he was describing. "Ryuzaki, I've dreamed of that same field, only it wasn't while I was playing. When I'm playing, I feel completely in touch with the wind. I think of an endless journey where I encounter countless emotions on the way to infinity, but I never wander into a daydream. It's strange that you should mention the same field. Of course, I've dreamed of a dark forest as well. In fact, that's the only thing I remember before you found me. I was walking through that forest. What do you think it means?"

Ryuzaki put his hand on top of hers and gently caressed it before sliding up her wrist to find the bracelet. He gently tugged on the chain and ran his fingers over it. "This is a lot more fun to play with while you're actually wearing it." He smiled at her slyly.

She giggled and rolled her eyes. "Are you dodging my question?"

He turned and stared at the stars. "I could tell you what a fool would think; but as far as a logical and educated guess is concerned… I'm afraid I have nothing." He couldn't help but scowl at his last words.

She smiled at him as she admired his profile in the moonlight. The wind was blowing his wild hair across his face and covering his eyes. It was a very enticing sight. "Well then, what would a fool think?"

His eyes traced the crescent shaped moon. "A fool would think that you were connected to that field and forest somehow, though it's obviously only a dream. He would think you had the power to take other people to those destinations just by playing that song. Perhaps he would even question whether or not you were from this world. An endless journey… with no destination… a need to keep moving without ever stopping; it would remind that fool of the wind, and he would jump to the ridiculous conclusion that you're not human at all, but rather a wind spirit of some kind. That's exactly what a fool would think."

She laughed at his answer. "A wind goddess! Wow! That would be really cool if it were true! I'm pretty sure I'd know if I were something spectacular like that though. Too bad this isn't a fool's world."

"Unfortunately, it _is_ a fool's world; which is the main reason there's really no place for me here."

"Aww, you shouldn't say that! There's definitely a place in this world for you! I mean… look at all the people you help with the crimes you solve!" She rested her hand on his shoulder to reassure him he was needed.

He didn't answer her. Ryuzaki was too lost in his own thoughts. After a while, he rested his head on his knee and studied her. "I'm very impressed with your ability to speak so many different languages. It wasn't something I had anticipated, though I'm sorry to say I have no other choice but be a little suspicious about it. Even so, it doesn't change my desire to know you. In fact, it only fuels it."

Another thought passed his mind as he spoke. _'Perhaps I'm being a little too reckless by tuning into my emotions like this. It could very well end up costing me my life._' Despite his growing feelings for her, he still couldn't bring himself to fully trust her. She was, after all, the first mystery that had ever left him completely baffled. Regardless, he now knew exactly what he wanted and nothing was going to stop him from pursuing it.

She smiled at him and switched over to Italian. "I understand why you would find it suspicious. I'm not offended by it. This is off subject, but you never told me why cathedrals bother you so much. Is it anything you're willing to share?"

He bit his bottom lip and looked down. "I'm sorry, but…no."

"Don't be sorry. I'm just happy you're talking with me so openly right now. I've learned more about you in the past 30 minutes than I've learned in the past month." She smiled brightly at him. "A month… it's hard to believe that much time has already passed. It only feels like a week."

"Our stay in New Orleans turned out to be much longer than expected. It normally doesn't happen that way. Watari and I try and change locations every week. If we end up staying longer, then we switch hotels every couple of days. My illness complicated things, but it didn't put us in any danger since I wasn't actively sending or receiving files through the networks up until the last week we were there. It usually takes a little over a week to crack through my firewalls, but by then, I'm no longer in the same location and I'm using a new computer with a different IP address." He was speaking to her in French. Both of them were having fun juggling different languages around. Ryuzaki had already thought of several linguistic games they could play to annoy people on plane rides.

Raine switched back to English. "So… what now? I mean… with us?"

He rested his thumb on his top lip and looked her over. "We take it one day at a time. If you haven't been able to tell, I've lived a very sheltered life. I can't be expected to convert to a Romeo over night. In truth, I never really liked Romeo."

She giggled. "I don't expect you to. I'd rather get to know _you_, not a fictional character."

He stretched his arms out and yawned. "Well, my dear, I hate to end this moment, but I'm really craving cake right now. Surely you're getting hungry as well."

"Actually, yes. I think I'll order a full meal though."

"I have no problem eating a full meal, as long as I have a bottle of syrup in reach."

"Yeah, I've noticed. You drown your food in it. Why do you do that? Does everything have to taste sweet?"

"Not at all. I'm just a picky eater. If something doesn't suite my tastes, I add a little flavor. It's really no different than using ketchup or steak sauce."

"I guess not. Well then, I'm ready whenever you are."

He climbed down first, and then helped Raine climb down. She lost her footing in the sand and stumbled into his arms. It might have been a romantic moment, but Raine was too embarrassed by her clumsiness to let it turn into one. She regained her balance and thanked him for catching her. His eyes absorbed her image- up and down- before they started walking. "You look stunning in that swimsuit."

She blushed and let out a shy laugh. "Thanks. But it's not like you haven't seen this much flesh before. I was totally naked when you found me and I imagine you were the one who dressed me. That must have been an interesting experience for you."

"Indeed it was. However, you were unconscious at the time. It made it difficult to see you as I'm seeing you now. Now that you're fully animated and I've come to know you, things are very different." He suddenly stopped. "Hey, do you want to race back to the hotel?"

She looked at him like he was insane. "Why? I'm carrying my bag with me, which will only slow me down."

"That's fine. It just means I would win." He smiled at her slyly. His hunger pangs were getting the better of him and he was getting overly anxious to finish the mile walk back to the hotel.

"I know, let's walk the first half mile and then we'll race for the last half."

"Sounds like a reasonable compromise. The sooner I have a slice of cake in front of me, the better."

When they reached the halfway mark, Ryuzaki took Raine's bag in an attempt to make things fair. They ran across the beach almost as fast as they had on the streets of New Orleans. By the time they stopped, Ryuzaki was wearing the same grin that he had shown her at the café that day. Both of them were so caught up in the fun of acting like children; they never even made note of who won.


	10. The Elements

The Elements

10.

"It saddens me to know you don't remember who I am."

It was the voice again. Raine had been walking through the field. It had become a regular dream of hers, but this was the first time she had heard that voice here, which was now directly behind her. She considered running, but her fear was no longer great enough. She felt she was in her own territory now. Her dreams were her most personal possession and she couldn't let an outsider invade them. For the first time, she decided to face the voice that kept trying to talk to her. She turned around slowly, only half expecting to see anything. She wasn't disappointed to see nothing was there.

"If you wish to speak to me, then I suggest you show yourself. Perhaps then we'll see if I remember you." Her voice was low and firm.

The voice remained silent. Raine waited for as long as her patience allowed, and then decided to continue walking. She was surprised to see the source of the voice standing right in front of her when she turned around. She forgot to breathe all for a few seconds, but managed to stand her ground. Standing in front of her was a tall young man dressed in a dark green and black outfit with hints of yellow. She couldn't place the style. His long silken red hair was as long as hers. His green eyes sparkled like emeralds.

In all, he was as flawless a fairy; attractive enough to make both male and female alike swoon. He carried a staff- no, a long stick. It looked like he had just cut it off of a tree without even bothering to break off the smaller branches and leaves. He was looking at her as though he had just been reunited with a long lost loved one. Raine eyed him up and down a few times before speaking in a less than lady-like manor. "So, who the hell are you supposed to be?"

An amused smile crossed his face. "It's good to see you no longer fear me. I thought it might be easier to approach you in your dreams. I knew your fear would fade since I can't actually cause you any harm here."

Her eyes narrowed. "Do you _wish_ to cause me harm?"

"After I worked so hard to bring you here? I wouldn't dream of it."

"And by that, you mean you're the reason I keep walking in this damn field; or are you saying you're the one who put me in that alley?"

"This realm is the closest thing to a home you have. It serves as a bridge between the portals. The winds rule and watch over it."

"Portals? Hey, you never answered my question! Are you or are you not the one who put me in that alley?"

"I am."

In a fit of anger, Raine kicked his stick, causing him to lose his balance. "Woah! You're feistier than ever!" He regained his balance with ease and smirked. "It's true, I am the one who put you in that alley, but my intent was not of malicious nature."

Raine kept calm, but refused to back down. "I'll ask you again. Who are you?" She thought of the name that had popped into her head the night Ryuzaki was so sick. "Are you… Adian?"

The man looked like he was on the verge of laughter. "Adian? No, no, no. Adian is the reason you were asleep in the first place."

"So then, Adian is my enemy… and you are… who are you? Could you please explain to me what's going on?" Raine was beyond the point of frustration.

He still wore an amused smirk on his face. "Forgive my manners. I am Onasisk of the elemental earth. I am your loyal colleague, friend and cousin."

"Cousin?"

"You sound surprised."

"Considering you just introduced yourself as an elemental and you can invade people's dreams plus talk without being seen… yes. I'm a little surprised. Is this Adian person another relation of mine?"

"Yes and no."

She took a step back and ran her hand through her hair in frustration. "Do you think you could stop with the useless answers?"

"Very well. Adian is not related to you as a blood relative. However, he shares something in relation to both of us."

"And he's the reason I was in that deep sleep? I need to tell Ryuzaki! He can…"

"That isn't wise. It would not be in your best interest to mention Adian's name to your…_new_…friend."

"But he's the one who… and then there's you and… I'm totally confused!"

"I never said Adian was the one who put you to sleep. I said he was the _reason_ you were put to sleep. Adian is not one you should fear. In fact, he's now little more than a shadow." He picked up his stick. "Before we continue, I'd like to request we start walking. I have a hard time standing still in this dreadful place for very long."

"If this wasn't a dream I could wake up from, there's no way I'd go anywhere with you."

"Ouch. I'm hurt. Really." His sarcasm was almost as dry as Ryuzaki's. They started walking as they continued to talk. "So, your name is _Raine_ now? _He_ named you, didn't he? It only seems fitting considering."

"Considering what?"

"Oh, nothing. Are you seriously falling in love with him?"

"That's not your concern."

"Is it not?" He started laughing.

Raine stopped in her tracks. "I'm not walking anymore until you tell me what's going on. I'd rather stand here and drown in my own depression than continue getting attitude from a guy who's probably little more than a figment of my imagination."

"A figment of your imagination…you truly have no idea what you are, do you?"

"Why don't you educate me?"

He laughed at her anger. "In spirit, you are known as Akaia of the Wind. You're an air elemental; the great granddaughter of Vasilia, goddess of the wind. Thanks in part to myself, you're currently living as a human being; but once the lifespan I have given you runs out and your human body dies, you shall return to your elemental state."

"Okay, just stop right there. This is my dream, which means you only exist in my mind because my subconscious wants to put a face to the voice I've been hearing. You're saying I'm some sort of wind spirit because I'm subconsciously remembering what Ryuzaki said to me on the beach. As for the name Adian, it's just another trick my mind is sorting through as it tries to piece together the puzzle. None of this is real!"

For the first time since he'd appeared, he frowned at her. "We really can't continue like this."

"I couldn't agree with you more."

Onasisk raised two fingers and flicked them twice. Raine gave him a strange look. She opened her mouth to ask what he had just done, but no words would form. She couldn't say anything at all_. 'I guess that answers that question.'_

His face turned serious. "I'm sorry I had to do that, but you're a very hard creature to talk to sometimes. Rather than answer a bunch of questions; I'm going to opt for just telling you the things that I think you'll find interesting."

Raine focused her full attention on him as they started to walk again. She wasn't happy with the fact that she couldn't talk, but if she was able to get some real information from his statements rather than short dry answers, she was willing to accept her inability to speak for awhile. They walked onward as Onasisk gathered his words. Raine could tell by his numerous expressions that he was mapping out everything he was going to say. She closed her eyes for only a second as she eagerly waited on what it was he had to say. When she opened them again, they were both standing in the darkness of the forest_. _She was holding a small lantern tolight the path ahead._ 'I hate it when the scenery suddenly changes like that!'_

He drew in a breath and finally began to speak. "You need to accept the fact that you are indeed an air elemental and your spirit has existed for just over a century. You're actually very young. If you can't come to terms with that, then nothing I'm about to say will be of any use to you. Your friend has already figured this out pretty much, he just isn't accepting it as truth. Do _you_ accept it?"

Raine hesitated; studying the ground below her before slowly nodding. Seemingly satisfied, he continued. "Just over 20 years ago, a water elemental living in human form (as you are now), fathered a child with a human of lower ranking. By that, I mean her spirit had about as much significance as any other human's. Most of them are only good for recycling lifespan over and over. Anyway, the woman was married to another man. He was another low ranking human and was unaware of his wife's secret love affair. For a short time, the woman was able to convince her husband that the child was his, but it was really only a matter of time before he uncovered the truth. The child was 3 by that time."

Onasisk stopped to study her reaction. None of it seemed to be ringing a bell so far. "Enraged by his wife's infidelity and the bastard child that he had been tricked into believing was his own, the husband decided to kill the real father as well as the woman and child. The man located our fellow elemental and delivered a fatal injury to him on the spot. As he lay there dying, he called out to the wind- as the rain tends to do when it's standing still. He begged it to carry his lover and child to safety. Of all the wind spirits that roam the air, you happened to be the one who heard his cry."

Onasisk stopped once again to study her reaction. Still, there was no indication that any of her memories were returning. He hesitated before continuing, not yet sure how much to leave out. "The water elemental's anguish made the rain pour that night. By the time you reached the woman and child…"

He broke off his sentence. He had to choose his next words carefully. "Getting to the point; your sorrow and pity got the better of you. You disturbed the balance of nature with your actions and the higher powers punished you severely for it. You were placed in a state of suspended animation and remained that way for 17 years. I shouldn't have to tell you what such an experience is like. You described it well enough to your friend in the cemetery when you spoke of corpses trapped in concrete."

He paused again. Raine wanted to ask him exactly what it was she had done to deserve such a fate; and she wanted to know what had become of the mother and child. Still unable to speak, all she could do was hope he would eventually explain it. His long red hair danced wildly with the heavy breeze. He looked like he was ready to model for the cover of a magazine. He smirked as she admired him. Before he continued, he tossed his stick into the darkness of the forest. Raine looked at him strangely.

"I thought it would make a nice prop, but I was growing tired of holding it. Moving on, after 17 years, I returned from my exile (which was the result of something completely unrelated to you), and found you lying motionless in this very forest. You know as well I do what happens when you're not constantly moving in this place. You and I were very close at one time, and it broke my heart to see you in such a state. In fact, it ailed me so that I decided to take your burden off of you. I have traveled enough worlds and obtained enough powers; that I have the ability to override certain spells from the beings that are even higher in rank than we are."

Raine was trying hard to take in everything Onasisk was telling her, but it was so much. She continued to do all that she could do, which was remaining silent. He yawned before he continued. Raine wondered if he was getting bored listening to himself talk.

"Being an earth elemental, I have the ability to create human vessels from the earth. With a little help from the other elements and a life stone, I molded your body with my own enchanted soil. I was able to perfect every one of your features. We elementals are very fond of living as humans. It's our preferred way of reproducing, and it keeps us in tune to the grander scheme of things. I made you human because I wanted you to get as far away from this forest as possible. I'm sorry to see that you still return here in your dreams. In that aspect, I've failed; but you've managed to cross paths with… someone whom seems to care for you. I'm very pleased that he happened to be the one calling out to the wind that night. That's how I knew where to leave you. Elementals normally only venture to the places they're needed."

He raised his fingers then. After a few chocked attempts, Raine's voice returned. "I'm a little pissed that you silenced me like that, but I'm willing to let it go since you told me as much as you did."

He smiled at her. "You always did have a warped way of showing gratitude."

"I do have a couple of questions. Is that alright with you, or are you going to do that little trick with your fingers again?" She blushed as she went over what she had just said. Had Ryuzaki been there, he would have been the first to point out the hidden innuendo of her words. Ryuzaki would have said _"Well, I suppose I can keep myself from using that trick again, but I do have several other tricks I can perform with my fingers that I'm sure you'll enjoy."_ Despite the fact that she was dreaming, she could still feel the goose bumps forming all over her body as she imagined what kind of tricks Ryuzaki could demonstrate for her_. 'Geez, I'm just as perverted as he is!'_

Onasisk had obviously picked up on the fact that she had distracted herself. He was grinning from ear to ear. "If you couldn't tell earlier, I'm not much for answering questions; but I guess I can tolerate a few for your sake."

"First, I want to know what I did that was so wrong that… whoever… felt it was best to punish me for it. And you practically skipped over the rest of the story after you got to the part about where I find the child and his mother. Did they survive? What is it you're not telling me?"

"Given your present situation, I think it'd be best if you left the blanks in the story just as they are… blank. You should forget I ever told you the story of the water elemental. Most importantly, you need to forget the name, Adian. If you say it out loud, it will only bring grief to the one who is currently closest to you."

"He's connected to this somehow, isn't he?" She was thinking of Ryuzaki.

"I can't say; but if you truly care for him, you'll take care not to tell him about this dream. When you hear my voice in the future, don't share it with him."

Raine gave it some thought. "Very well then, I won't mention any of this to him. You still haven't told me who Adian is, but I'm assuming it's the water elemental that died."

"Yes and no."

She sighed heavily. "There you go again with the answers that make no sense."

"I told you, I'm not fond of answering questions."

"The flute… why was I found with that flute?"

"It was a gift from your great grandmother, the Goddess of Wind herself. With that flute, you have the ability to control the surrounding winds. You also have the ability to take people on different journeys as you play, which often results in that person solving a problem or gaining personal wisdom along the way. It really all depends on the individual who hears the song. You treasured it so much, I didn't have the heart to let you part with it."

"And the symbols… the webbing that surrounds them… what do they mean?"

"Honestly, I'm surprised you don't remember. The symbols are the language of the elements. It tells the story of your great grandmother. The webs could perhaps symbolize the different paths one may take on a journey, or perhaps it shows how everything that makes up the universe is intertwined. In all honesty, I have no idea. The woman was fascinated with spiders. I don't know why. Perhaps for the same reason you seem to like that spider ring you were wearing in the cemetery."

"I'm human though… just like any other human… right?"

"You are now. Your spirit will forever be an elemental, but as long as your human body has lifespan, you are completely human. You have the same weaknesses and abilities that they do, because you _are_ one. Unfortunately, that means you have no power aside from your flute. You might be able to tap into weaker forms of your abilities every so often, but they will not be fully restored to you until you leave your body."

"Were you the source of the heaviness I felt in New Orleans?"

"Heaviness?" Onasisk suddenly frowned. "I suppose… you felt the presence of the portal that's there. Or… it might have had something to do with my present state of mind. It's really nothing that holds any significance either way."

Raine almost went further and asked him about his state of mind; but she didn't want to feel like she was prying by asking a guy she had technically just met about his feelings. "There's so much more I want to ask you, but I've already got too much information to process in my tiny little brain."

"Yes, it's true human brains tire easily. There will be plenty of opportunities in the future to ask me more. I believe you're about to enter another phase of sleep anyway. Dreams tend to change with the passing of each cycle. I will do my best to continue my visits."

"Is it out of your way?"

"No, but I'm very weak. Just remember, there are many worlds out there beyond this one. There are many different creatures that inhabit them, but the one thing that keeps us all connected, is lifespan. It's the very essence of existence."

"Weak? Why? What's wrong?" She waited for a reply, but he was gone.

Raine was alone in the dark forest. Everything was so sudden; she hadn't even realized she had stopped walking. The air began getting thick and breathing was becoming impossible. The light she carried in her hand vanished. Everything was completely black. She tried to start walking, but something was anchoring her down. "This is… this is…" Though she was speaking out loud, there was no sound. She started to panic.

A light suddenly appeared. It was like a spotlight cutting through the darkness. It was shining down on something. No longer anchored down, she moved in to get a better look. She felt something warm and wet beneath her feet as she edged closer. She was horrified when the object in the spotlight came into full focus. Lying in a pool of blood was a small child. A machete blade was planted in his chest. His eyes were wide open and staring straight up. She couldn't bring herself to look into them. His entire body was jerking as it fought the hands of death. He coughed up blood, choking on whatever didn't escape his mouth. His face was covered in tears. He was in severe pain and slowly dying.

Raine felt as though her heart had just stopped. A well of tears began pouring from her eyes as she tried to run to the child, only to find that she was anchored down again. "No! He's all alone! Someone needs to help him!" Something forced her back. It felt as though a strong giant hand had shoved her back into the darkness. She screamed as loud as she could, and then everything was black once again.

Raine shot up in the bed, drenched in sweat. The room was dark, save for a small lit desk lamp on the far side of the room. The corner of her eye caught movement. She turned her head to see Ryuzaki watching her. He had pulled a chair up beside the bed and was now perched on it, chewing on his nails as he watched her. Her breathing was starting to return to normal. She wiped the sweat off of her brow with the back of her hand. "Were you… watching me while I was asleep?"

"Yes."

She shook her head and gave him a confused look. "Why?"

"I'm bored."

She rolled her eyes. "Then why don't you go to bed like any other human being would. Do you even sleep at all? The only time I've ever seen you sleep was when you were sick."

"Sleeping is a great inconvenience for me. Every now and then, my exhaustion will get the better of me and I'll nap on the couch. Sometimes, I'll even fall asleep sitting in front of my computer."

"You shouldn't fight your sleep so hard. You need it to function. You're not a robot!"

Ryuazaki took her hand and brought it to his lips. It had become a regular ritual for him. Only this time, he parted his lips as they came to a rest on her hand. Raine felt his tongue slowly stroke her skin. It sent chills all over her body. He withdrew his tongue and brought his lips back together, but didn't pull them away from her hand. He closed his eyes and gently moved his lips across her flesh. They slightly puckered into a kiss once more before reluctantly pulling away. "Did you experience a disturbing dream?"

Raine had a strange feeling from Ryuzaki's behavior that he wanted something from her. "Y-yes. I had a horrible nightmare."

He rose from his chair and sat on the bed beside her, hugging his knees. They locked their eyes on each other. "What were you dreaming about?"

Remembering what Onasisk had told her, she hesitated. "Well, I… I…" She stopped.

"Please, Raine. Please, tell me." His eyes were clearly pleading with her.

"I-I saw a body… covered in blood. It was horrible." Those were the only words she could get out.

"I see." Without another word, Ryuzaki brought his knees down and let his feet rest on the floor. He pulled her close to him without warning and wrapped his arms around her.

Raine's bottom lip quivered from the surprise. "Ryuzaki, what…"

"I know what it's like to have nightmares. I'll let go if it's your wish."

She wrapped her arms around him and returned the embrace. "No. Please, don't let go."

They remained like that for a while in silence. Ryuzaki gently stroked the back of her head to sooth her nerves. He could tell by listening to her breathing pattern that she was falling asleep. He pulled away from her slightly to meet her drowsy eyes. "Raine, do you… want me to lay with you until you fall asleep?"

"Please."

They settled down onto the bed and continued to hold on to each other. Raine nuzzled her head into Ryuzaki's chest. He kissed the top of her head and lost himself in the scent of her hair. His instincts were being very helpful as far as showing small gestures of affection were concerned. It felt very new and strange to him, but at the same time; it felt right. In that moment, Ryuzaki actually felt like a _human, _rather than a stone cold alien who observed the world from the shadows. He had almost dozed off when Raine made an odd request. "I don't want you to try to find out who I am anymore."

Ryuzaki bit his bottom lip. "And why is that?"

"I don't care about my past. I want to start my life from scratch." Her words came out groggily.

"I see. Why the sudden change of heart? What would that mean… for us?"

He waited for an answer, but she had already fallen asleep.

* * *

**I don't want any of you to assume that I'm going to turn this into a supernatural "use our powers to save the day" sort of thing. I promise you that won't happen. This story isn't about using supernatural powers... it's only very lightly touched upon. Raine has no power so long as her human body is alive, aside from her flute. I added the supernatural element for a reason, but mostly, I just wanted to play around with the concept of lifespan.**


	11. Capoeira

**I Do Not Own Death Note!**

**Author's Note: Not a lot for me to say this time. If anyone is interested in drawing a picture of Raine, I would love to see it! I tried to do it the other day and failed miserably. =/**

"Oh wow! These are even more beautiful than the ones from yesterday!" Raine inhaled the fragrance of the fresh flower arrangement that rested on the small breakfast table. She admired the red and white blooms before turning her attention to the purple roses that had been left the day before. "Why would a hotel waste the time and money to bring fresh bouquets to each hotel room every morning? I can understand one per visit, I guess. One bouquet normally lasts several days though. Why bring one every day?"

Ryuzaki looked at the flowers before turning his attention to her. "Do you not like them? I can tell housekeeping to take them away."

"No, no. They're beautiful! Please leave them. I love flowers. I just wish this hotel wasn't so wasteful. These flowers have been plucked away from their life source for the sole purpose of impressing the rich people that stay here. As beautiful as they are, we won't be able to take them with us. It's weird. It seems a basket of mints and hand sanitizer would be a more appropriate complimentary gift."

"I'm… sorry. Would mints and hand sanitizer be your personal preference from now on? I can make the arrangements with the right people at each hotel to bring you whatever your heart desires."

Raine grinned from ear to ear. He had just given himself away. "Just like you made the arrangement to have these flowers delivered to me?"

Ryuzaki didn't actually answer her. He shoved his hands in his pockets and shrugged as he looked down at his toes.

"But you told me yesterday they weren't from you. Why go through the trouble of doing something nice like that and then deny playing any part in it."

"It's really no different than removing countless numbers of predators from the streets and letting the recognized authorities take all of the credit for it. Besides, I don't consider myself the type who sends flowers. I have this condition known as a male ego that needs to be protected."

She wrapped her arms around him and gave him a firm squeeze. "But they mean so much more now that I know they came from you."

Hands still in his pockets, he tilted his head down and lightly kissed her on the forehead. "I'm glad you're happy."

"You don't look glad. You look depressed." She released him and took a few steps back as she studied his face. As usual, his expression was almost unreadable. Only his dark eyes revealed the slight hint that something was bothering him.

He wasn't sure where it came from (it certainly wasn't what was bothering him), but he had the sudden urge to bring it up. "You've yet to ask me my real name."

Raine had been waiting for this topic to pop up. He had told her in New Orleans that he wasn't satisfied with her lack of questions. She knew this was the big one that he had been referring to. "If I asked, would you tell me?"

"No."

"Then there's obviously no point."

"So you're telling me that even though we're trying to move toward building a possible relationship, you aren't even the slightest bit curious to know my true name?"

"It isn't that I'm not curious. Believe me, I am. But I know you well enough to know that if I asked you what your real name was, you'd just give me another alias."

"True. There is in fact a 93% chance I would use another alias."

"See, there you go. There's no point in asking. You introduced yourself as _Ryuzaki_ and it's a name that you respond well too; therefore, that's what I'm going to stick with for now. I'm sure you'll share your real name with me eventually."

He stepped forward and placed his hands on her shoulders. His eyes darted back and forth as he studied her face. "You're forgetting about the 7%. No matter how low the possibility, it's still there and shouldn't be ignored."

She rolled her eyes and sighed. "You're testing me again aren't you?"

"I might be."

"Before you started throwing numbers around, you flat out told me you wouldn't tell me if I asked. Your 7% means nothing. Can we drop this now?"

He let go of her shoulders and put his hands back in his pockets. A very weak smile formed from his lips. It disappeared before Raine even noticed.

"Forgive me if I ruined your good mood. It's actually very convenient for me that you aren't pushing so hard to learn my true name. Still, I can't help but feel a little bothered by it."

"Why would it bother you?"

"It isn't important. To be honest, there are times when I'm not completely sure I even know my true name anymore."

"That isn't surprising. You use so many aliases to keep yourself in the shadows; your real name is obsolete. It's a tragedy. What difference would it make if I knew your real name if it isn't one you recognize and identify with?"

A split second of sadness flashed across his face. "You make a valid point." He turned away from her, ready to change the subject. "I'm going out today. You're more than welcome to accompany me, if you'd like."

"I'd love to. I bet you're going to watch that capoeira demonstration. Am I right?"

He turned to face her again and smiled. "Yes. It starts in just under two hours."

"Sounds like fun. Maybe you can pick up a few tricks from what you observe."

"I sincerely hope so."

She gave him a soft, lingering kiss on the cheek and smiled at him. "I hope it cheers you up a little."

He smiled back at her shyly; the color in his face had changed to a sheepish shade of red.

"I believe you've already managed to do that."

* * *

The Capoeira demonstration was to take place outside of a hotel that was sponsoring a martial arts competition. Fighters of every style were showing off their moves in various demonstrations. Ryuzaki's eyes darted back and forth as he took in the variety of styles. He took great interest in the Aikido, Hapkido, Judo, T'ai-Chi and Kuntao sets. Finally, the Capoeira fighters began to take their place. Several men brought out a variety of strange looking instruments; taking their places just outside the circle. One looked like a strange bow. Ryuzaki had told Raine once when he showed her a capoeira video that it was called a berimbau. Another looked like a tambourine, followed by a conga drum. The anticipation in Ryuzaki was so strong, he wouldn't even blink.

Raine couldn't help but laugh at his excitement. He did such a good job of appearing indifferent; others would have never picked up on his interest. Raine on the other hand, was slowly learning how to read his moods. She would pick up on certain eye twitches or slight differences in his unusual mannerisms. She had even trained herself to tune into his breathing patterns when they were close enough, which was normally an automatic giveaway. All the little things that most people would completely ignore; that's how she picked up on the emotions that he tried so hard to suppress.

She played with her yo-yo as she waited for the demonstration to start. It had recently developed into a bad habit. Ryuzaki had asked her to stop playing with it one day while he was trying to work; in which she replied "you have your quirks; I think I'm entitled to mine." He never brought it up again after that. Raine tried to take him into consideration. She only played with it in parts of the room where she knew he wouldn't see the red circle going up and down repeatedly from the corner of his eye as he tried to work. He pretty much ignored it after that. Now however, he was asking her to switch hands with it.

"Why? How will you find it any less annoying if I yo-yo with my other hand?"

"It's not that I find it annoying. It's just that it's a little difficult to play with your bracelet while you're constantly moving your arm."

She shyly turned away as she laughed. "If you'd like I can just take the bracelet off and give it to you." She couldn't understand why he found a common chain so appealing. Perhaps he was using it as a crutch to make himself more comfortable with human contact. She accepted that theory.

"As I told you on the beach, I enjoy playing with it more while you're wearing it." He was definitely in a better mood. He retrieved a grape lollipop from his pocket and presented it to her. Grape was her absolute favorite. She accepted it almost immediately and opened it before switching hands with her yoyo. She did one last "_walk the dog"_ trick with it and then decided to put it away.

Raine felt the usual light tug on her bracelet and knew it was Ryuzaki. He was standing very close to her, but his eyes remained on the performance circle. She felt one of his fingers moving between the chain and her skin. It was very enticing. He let another finger slide underneath the chain and rested it against her pulse. His touches were so light and sensual; she closed her eyes and slid her tongue yearningly around her lollipop.

She shivered when she realized he was leaning close to her ear. "Your heart rate is increasing. Does it really require so much effort to suck on a lollipop? Or perhaps…" His hand released the chain bracelet completely as he spoke. He found Raine's hand and gently interlocked his fingers with hers. His lips moved closer to Raine's ear until she could feel his breath. He whispered the rest of his sentence. "Perhaps it's something else."

She backed away just enough to turn and face him. As soon as her honey yellow eyes met with the dark pools he called his own, he completely lost his nerve. He released her hand and turned his attention to the performance circle as the music began to play. Raine arched her eyebrows in confusion, but she didn't want to say anything now that the show was starting. Ryuzaki had been looking so forward to seeing the demonstration; she had no intention of ruining it for him. She realized she was going to have to accept the fact that Ryuzaki only showed affection at completely random moments; and that often ended prematurely with him backing away and acting like nothing ever happened. She wondered if it was only because he was still unaccustomed to human contact; or if it would always be that way.

The Capoeira dancers entered the circle and shook hands. One patted the other on the shoulder. Raine thought it was a neat way to begin a play fight. It sent good vibes through her. It was a positive dance that could show unity; but it was also an effective method of self defense. The performers began their routine; doing cartwheels, back flips, hand spins and a series of kicks. Raine was amazed that they were able to do all of those things in such close proximity to each other, yet they never actually landed any kicks. Each always seemed to know exactly what the other was doing. She couldn't figure out how they did it. Had it all been choreographed? It left her in bewilderment as she admired the beauty and grace that the performers displayed as they moved.

Ryuzaki spent the first half of the performance in a trance. He studied each move attentively. Every so often, he would play commentator for Raine. "The 360 degree twist performed by the one wearing blue is known as the Mariposa. It's also been referred to as Parafuso, Parafusetta, or more commonly, the Butterfly Kick. His landing was 7 out of 10… maybe 8."

The other man flipped his legs over his head in what would have landed a blow much like the one Ryuzaki had received from Naomi Misora. He couldn't help but wince as he leaned in to continue his commentary for Raine. "That's called the Armada Dupla. I've experienced the move first hand."

"Ah, that's what knocked you down the stairs?"

He didn't bother to reply. He was too lost in his own fantasy. He wanted to be the one in the circle showing off moves. His eyes danced right along with the performers. It was the first time in a while he had actually taken a genuine interest in something other than solving difficult cases. Before that, it had been tennis. He had quickly mastered it in his pre teens and lost interest in it just as quickly. He enjoyed being active. It was a great way to release the inner frustrations that the sweets couldn't soothe.

The demonstration concluded and the audience applauded as the two men shook hands again and bowed to the crowd. Ryuzaki's mind was still floating around somewhere in another world. Raine placed her hand on his shoulder to get his attention. "Hey, you seemed to enjoy that a lot."

"Indeed, I did."

"Do you know how to do any of that?"

He frowned. "Unfortunately, no."

"Would you like to learn?"

"It would prove very effective in ensuring your protection in certain circumstances."

"So, that's a _yes_ then? Why don't we learn it together? It looks like it'd be a lot of fun!"

His eyes widened. "You… would share the experience with me?"

"Of course! Don't look so stunned! I want to share the things with you that make you happy."

He could almost feel his heart melting. She had somehow penetrated through its icy edge; and released warmth into its core. A heartfelt smile appeared on his face as he lost himself in her eyes. "I'd like that. I imagine one day we'll be even better than the performers we just witnessed." Ryuzaki wanted more than anything to embrace her, but he hadn't completely recovered the nerve he had lost before the demonstration. Instead, he did the one thing that he knew his confidence was comfortable with. He kissed her hand before bringing it to rest on his chest. "We'll be completely in tune with each other. I look forward to it."

She smiled at him brightly and kissed his cheek as she had done earlier that morning. "I also look forward to it."

Ryuzaki was blushing again. His shy grin made him appear boyishly cute. He brought his hand to the cheek she had kissed. "I'm growing very fond of that. Please don't hesitate to do it more frequently if you happen to feel the urge."

She giggled at him like a crushing school girl. "I'll remember that."

After watching a couple more demonstrations, they left. They found a small coffee house a couple blocks away and stopped for tea and cake. As Ryuzaki saturated his tea with sugar, Raine observed a slight difference in his demeanor. No one else would have noticed it. He was a professional at hiding his feelings; but Raine noticed. He didn't appear to be indifferent towards his very existence as he usually did. She could see that his mind wasn't filled with his usual serious thoughts. He was day dreaming. He had lost himself in a world in which he felt content. Ryuzaki noticed that she was smiling at him. "What is it?" He spoke through a mouth full of cake. "Why are you staring at me like that?"

Raine turned her eyes down to the table as she laughed. "Nothing. Nothing at all."

He gave a slight shrug and turned his attention back to his cake.

* * *

"I have things to attend to this evening; therefore Watari has made arrangements for you to attend a symphony with him at the Sydney Opera House. His colleagues from the inventor's convention will also be in attendance, so you will have to pose as Watari's niece. You are not to bring up anything that would connect you or Watari to myself. Also, you may not address him as _Watari._ I believe _Uncle_ will serve well enough. We will be departing Sydney in the hours after the performance." They were back in the hotel room. Ryuzaki was perched in a lounge chair, stirring sugar cubes into his coffee.

"Sounds great! I haven't really had a chance to get to know Watari yet; so now would be the opportune time. What time does the show start?"

"Watari will arrive in roughly 4 hours and 12 minutes to escort you to the evening's entertainment."

Raine laughed as she played with her hair in the mirror. "You're always so precise! This feels sort of like a _date with your dad_ sort of thing."

Ryuzaki frowned. "When worded like that, I find myself suddenly hoping you're not attracted to older men."

"That's it! You figured me out, Ryuzaki! I've been hoping to find a rich old man to marry so he'll die and leave me his inheritance! That'd be a great way to start my life over! Do you think Watari would fall for me if I wore something really cute tonight?"

She apparently hid her sarcasm a little too well. Ryuzaki's eyes widened at her remark. He almost opened his mouth to say something, but had already lost the words. Raine walked over to him and brushed his hair out of his face with her hand. "Ryuzaki, I wasn't being serious."

A small laugh managed to escape with his quick breath. "Of course you weren't. I know sarcasm when hear it."

Her fingers slowly ran through his hair. Ryuzaki pretended not to care, though it was proving to be a lot more difficult for him than it should have been. He finally had to say something. "Is there any particular reason you're playing with my hair?"

She drew her hand back. "I'm sorry. Sometimes I totally forget that you're not a touchy-feely kind of guy unless _you_ initiate it. I just really like your hair."

"And why is that?"

"Well, because it's so smooth and thick. And it hangs wildly, even after you comb it. It makes you look like a mad genius."

He smiled at her slyly. "I _am_ a mad genius. The hair on my head is obviously aware of this." Smile fading, he took a sip of his coffee and motioned for her to sit down on the couch. As much as he had enjoyed his day of blooming puppy love with Raine, there was something that had been nagging at him since the night before. The light hearted demeanor that Raine had worked so hard to bring out in him suddenly disappeared behind a wall. His face was stone cold and serious. "Raine, there's something very important that I feel we need to discuss before you leave. I'm sincerely hoping it won't be too difficult."

Raine stared at him curiously. She couldn't believe he could turn off all hint of emotion so quickly. "Sounds sort of serious. What's up?"

"This pertains to last night…"

Raine tensed up. Surely he wasn't about to ask her about the dream. It was just a dream, after all. It had no significance to anything that involved her wakeful hours. She felt a wave of paranoia sweep over her as she remembered Onasisk's warning to keep their encounter a secret. The last thing she wanted to do was upset Ryuzaki. She tried to think of what else it could be that had changed his mood so suddenly. "Is this about you lying in bed with me last night? I'm sorry if you regret it, but you're the one who suggested it. It isn't like we did anything."

"It has nothing to do with that. I wanted to hold you. I wish I could do so every night. This actually concerns the dream you had."

Raine was trying to think of an excuse to get out of the conversation. She could take a bathroom break, but he would only be waiting for her with his questions when she returned. "What about it? I don't really remember much, honestly."

"Is that so?" He poured himself another cup of coffee in silence and dropped in the usual ridiculous amount of sugar cubes. He patted his spoon against his bottom lip repeatedly as he thought. "Do you remember what you said to me last night?"

She closed her eyes. If she tried to pretend like she didn't even remember that, it would probably raise his suspicion. "I do."

"And why would you request such a thing only moments after waking up from an apparently vivid dream?"

She lied. "The request wasn't a result of my dream. I've been thinking about telling you to stop looking into my past identity for awhile now. If you discovered it or if my memories returned, it could make it difficult for me to continue to stay with you. I might have come from a very bad place for all I know and I don't want to end up nude in an alley again. I might not wake up next time. I don't want to deal with anything that held any significance before I woke up in your hotel room."

He rested his chin on one of his hands. "Is that all?"

Her eyes narrowed at him. "What do you mean '_Is that all'_? Of course that's all. What else would there be?"

"You remember nothing at all about that dream? Not even the corpse you told me you saw?"

"What does it even matter? My dreams are my own and I shouldn't have to share them with anyone. They're just dreams! They have nothing to do with reality."

"So quick to jump on the defense over something that's seemingly so simple. I find that very odd, Raine."

Raine was starting to get angry. The first words that she wanted to say were _'Fuck off! My dreams are private!' _She bit down on her tongue to keep the words from coming out. Instead, she forced out something a little more acceptable. "I have nothing else to offer you concerning this subject. I don't remember the damn dream. It's not like it would be any of your concern if I did."

Ryuzaki glared at her as he sipped his coffee. He looked as though he wanted to get out of his chair. "I'm afraid it's very much my concern."

She threw her hands up in frustration. "Why?"

He didn't answer her question. "Have you regained any of your memories?"

"I have not." Her voice had turned hard and cold. That part wasn't really a lie. Even though Onasisk had told her who she was, she had still failed to recover any actual memories. It made her wonder if any of it was valid. It was after all, only a dream.

Ryuzaki set down his coffee cup and played with his bottom lip. "I recall saying that I would never lie to you if I thought it might cause you grief. I would greatly appreciate it if you would be kind enough to show me the same courtesy."

Without another word, he got up and walked over to his computer, as he often did when he had nothing else to say and wanted to be left alone.

Raine felt guilty about lying to him, but she couldn't get Onasisk's warning out of her head. He had said that it would bring Ryuzaki nothing but grief if she shared with him any of what she had learned. Raine didn't want to do that. Ryuzaki already had enough inner turmoil to deal with. She stood up and clenched her fists in an attempt to find the courage to speak. "Ryuzaki, I…"

Without turning away from his monitor, he held up a hand to signal her silence. He wasn't interested in anything else she had to say. What had started out as a day too good to be true was ending in disaster. Raine stormed out onto the balcony so she could pout alone.

Watari walked through the door a few hours later. Ryuzaki was still sitting at his computer, trying to keep himself buried in his work. "She's out on the balcony." He didn't bother to look up as he said it. Watari arched his eyebrow and walked over to the sliding glass door. Raine didn't even hear him open the door and step outside. She had propped her legs up in the chair that sat opposite from her own and fallen asleep. "Miss Raine?" He repeated himself twice before she woke up. "Watari? Oh gosh, I didn't mean to fall asleep out here! I'm not sure I'm dressed appropriately for the symphony."

Watari smiled warmly at her. "It's not a problem. I arrived a little early, so there's plenty of time to change if you'd like. Dress codes have never been an issue with me or my comrades."

"Thanks, Watari. It shouldn't take me long." They both went back inside. Ryuzaki didn't look up to acknowledge either one of them. Raine looked at him and rolled her eyes before retrieving a fresh outfit and disappearing into the bathroom. She was going to see a symphony, and she wasn't about to let Ryuzaki spoil her excitement. Once she was in the bathroom, Ryuzaki decided to be sociable with Watari.

"Thank you for allowing her to attend the symphony with you, Watari. I regret that I can't take her there myself. I hope it isn't too much of an inconvenience for you."

"Not at all. She will be accompanying us to dinner as well. I'm sure she'll have a wonderful time."

"I have told her to pose as your niece to avoid confusion."

"Excellent thinking."

"I spoke with the head of the archeology department earlier. She said that the symbols on Raine's flute have no affiliation with any of the known forms of language, past or present. The final report suggests that the symbols are little more than made up calligraphy."

"Are you satisfied with that?"

"No. However, the flute is no longer my main concern."

"Oh?"

Ryuzaki's toes played with each other nervously. "Watari… I have a slight conflict that I'm not sure I know how to resolve."

"And this concerns Miss Raine?"

"I'm afraid I'm developing feelings for her at an alarming rate. There's no stopping it anymore."

"I already know you're in love with her. This old man wasn't born yesterday. A lover can be a man's greatest weakness. You could face betrayal from her in the future… or her safety could be used against you. Are you sure you're willing to pursue it knowing that?"

"What fun is living if I can't be a little reckless every now and then? It's true that I'm taking a chance that could result in great consequence; however, I'm doing so with the necessary caution. I tried to force myself to remain indifferent towards her; but I'm afraid it's now beyond my control."

"So, what's the unresolved conflict?"

"Well…" Ryuzaki stood up and walked up to Watari. He leaned in as though trying to keep a secret. "She talks in her sleep."

Watari looked confused, but before Ryuzaki had the chance to elaborate, Raine was out of the bathroom and ready to go. Neither Raine nor Ryuzaki bothered saying goodbye to each other.

**See everyone next chapter! As always, I really love the reviews! They're what keep me motivated to write more! =)**


	12. Date

**I do not own Death Note**

**1- I included a small tribute to L's English DUB actor, Alessandro Juliani. He's playing King Henry at Bard on the Beach this summer in Vancouver and I can't afford to travel out there to see it... so I'll just let L and Raine go see it for me. I had to take a crazy guess at the scheduling and events and what not, so I may or may not have it right. Either way, I just thought it would be cool for L to go see one of his shows. Keep in mind that we're going to pretend that this is taking place in 2003 and not 2010. ^_^**

**2- A lot of time has passed here since the last chapter. I was very conflicted about how I should reveal the events you're about to read, so I hope I did okay. There are a lot of cut scenes; just so you'll know.**

Raine had fallen in love with the city of Vancouver. She loved that she could enjoy both the ocean _and_ the mountain views in one city. It was glowing with entertainment and culture. She had spent the past several months traveling around the world with Ryuzaki and Watari. They had visited Australia, Russia, Europe, Asia, and both of the Americas. Each location had its own special feel to it. She was so impressed with Vancouver; she had actually pictured herself settling down there.

Her relationship with Ryuzaki hadn't really progressed any further since Sydney. They had more than their fair share of awkward, yet romantic moments; but in the end, Ryuzaki would always go back to asking questions about Raine's dreams. Raine would always dodge the subject and Ryuzaki would get irritated and bury himself his work. Despite the setback, their feelings for each other had grown much stronger.

Ryuzaki continued to shower her with flowers and other presents. He made sure she had plenty to do in every city they visited. He treated her better than royalty. In return, Raine made sure that he had everything he needed while he worked and always tried not to interrupt him. Even though she knew expenses weren't an issue with Ryuzaki, she never bought more than what she needed when she went shopping. The last thing she wanted to do was take advantage of his kindness.

Ryuzaki had started spending an abnormal amount of time in the bathroom. He would shower sometimes three or four times a day. Raine had no idea why he had suddenly taken such an obsessive interest in hygiene. If she did know, Ryuzaki would have never heard the end of it. His lust for Raine was starting to get the better of him; and his shower time was the only time he felt he could release himself.

During the early morning hours, they would go for a run before practicing capoeira. Ryuzaki would often arrange trips to different martial art schools as they traveled. He and Raine would take a class or two and then sharpen their skills in their own time. Though it had only been a few months since they had started learning the fighting style, they had both progressed to the point where their moves would be effective in an actual fight. It was during these training sessions of theirs that the sexual tension built up to unbearable levels.

Ryuzaki would often get overheated mid-workout and take his shirt off before continuing. It made Raine's mouth water. She of course, was equally taunting to him. She normally trained in nothing but a sports bra and a pair of sweat pants that hugged every curve. She would lose her balance every so often and Ryuzaki would catch her. His hands would always land on her bare skin and he would feel his will power quickly slipping away. Almost every time it happened, he would quickly excuse himself to go take a shower. It only made sense to shower after such a strenuous workout, after all.

The only downside was that Ryuzaki had started neglecting his work as he concentrated more on pursuing his new interests. As L, he remained in full swing; but his other aliases were taking on less and less cases. Raine had only recently found out about _L_, the world's greatest detective. A powerful mob boss had enlisted the help of Eraldo Coil to track down L. In the heat of trying to discourage him from helping a mob capture a fellow detective, Ryuzaki's most dangerous secret was revealed to Raine.

That of course, only came after he had toyed with her. He played the part of Coil going after L right up until the very last moment. He painted the picture of L as a powerful and dangerous force to be reckoned with. Those who challenged L often vanished without a trace. He loved the reaction that little lie had pulled out of her. Ryuzaki played the courageous detective who would track L down and claim his title as the world's greatest detective after delivering him to the hands of the mob boss.

Raine had been a nervous wreck. She didn't want Ryuzaki pursuing such a dangerous man. If 'L' had even more power, intellect and trickery than Ryuzaki did, then there was no way Ryuzaki would walk away alive. He led her on with the bluff for over a week. He even arranged a fake meet up with 'L' so he could apprehend him in person. Raine was so upset on the night the supposed 'meeting' was to take place; she considered drugging Ryuzaki's tea so he couldn't go through with his plan. She had made one last tearful attempt at begging Ryuzaki not to go when he finally decided to fully revealed himself. "There's no need to shed tears on my behalf. I can assure you L isn't a dangerous man at all. In truth… _I'm_ L."

"I-I-I'm sorry. I don't think I heard you right."

"I normally despise having to repeat myself; but for you, I'll make an exception. I am L. I've been chasing myself."

He didn't have a chance to read her face, because a foot pounded into his. He fell backward and landed on his rear. Raine had just given him an intimate demonstration of a new capoeira move they had been working on. Ryuzaki covered his throbbing nose with his hand as it started to bleed.

"I suppose… I deserved that."

"You're damn right you deserved it, you loony bastard! You had me worried sick this whole time for absolutely nothing!"

Ryuzaki didn't like being referred to as a bastard. A lot of orphans didn't. Even if they weren't actually unwanted and abandoned at birth, they had orphan comrades who were. He jumped on the defense. "It's your own fault. You should have remembered seeing my screensaver and made the connection. It isn't my fault your memory is laughable."

"Just for that, I'm not helping you up." Raine wanted to kick herself when she realized she had completely forgotten about his screensaver that had the huge L floating all over the monitor. She had only noticed it once, so she tried to forgive herself for the obvious stupidity.

She glared at him as he sat in the floor holding his nose. A wave of guilt began to creep up on her. Reluctantly, Raine gave in and helped him to his feet. He turned on his puppy dog face as he attempted to explain himself. "I'm sorry, but I had to eliminate the 0.2% possibility that you were an enemy of L before I could trust you with that identity. It's obvious now that you'd never even heard of L before this incident." He took a step back before he continued. "I suppose I also wanted to see what it felt like to have someone actually worry about me." She wanted to kick him again, but decided she had done more than enough damage.

As angry as she was with him for toying with her emotions for an entire week, she was relieved to know that he wasn't in any danger. She felt a huge tension moving away from her nerves. They held on tight to each other that night as they consoled each other's guilt. "I tried to warn you months ago. There are many things about me that most people wouldn't put up with. They would view my methods as too extreme. Detective L is a very dangerous title to carry. There are many criminal and government organizations alike who want me eliminated. I had to handle revealing my secret to you with great caution. That only leaves us with one more issue to address before I can properly court you."

"And that would be?"

"You shouldn't have to ask. You know what you're hiding from me."

"There you go again about that damn dream. It happened months ago. Why can't you just move on? Why is a dream that important?"

"I'm not going to tell you yet. There's no reason why I should share my thoughts with you if you can't do the same for me."

She sighed heavily and buried her head into his chest. He stroked her hair. "Raine, the sooner we get this out of the way, the sooner we can move our relationship forward." She didn't reply. Her mind was racing as she listened to his heart pound through his chest. She couldn't understand why it was so important. She hoped that Onasisk would appear again soon so she could find out exactly why it would cause Ryuzaki so much grief and despair if she came clean.

And that was how it happened. Raine was now aware that a super detective by the name of L existed, and Ryuzaki was that detective. She was also aware that Ryuzaki had no intention of letting her forget about her dream. It was true that it had obviously played a big part for her in deciding she no longer wanted Ryuzaki to investigate her origins; but she couldn't understand why that alone would make Ryuzaki consider it so important.

Now- in the present- she sat on the edge of a water fountain in Vancouver and played her flute. It was the first time in months she had played. Since her encounter with Onasisk, she had avoided her flute, simply because it was a part of her that she didn't completely understand. Raine had no desire to deal with it. She felt the breeze pick up as she played. As usual, people gathered around her and listened intently.

She observed many of them closely as she played. All of them looked like mindless zombies. It made her feel sick inside, so she stop playing. Despite the fact that she had stopped right in the middle of the song, people were still dropping money into her hat. "But why? I didn't even finish!" No one answered her. They were still waking up from their own daydreams. She wondered if anyone was even aware that they were actually tipping her with their hard earned money. And for what? All for a song that made the wind blow.

'_There's no denying it anymore. That dream I had was very real. The power of this flute is proof. I really am Akaia of the Wind, and Onasisk of the Earth molded me a human body and dumped me here. But that doesn't explain who Adian is, or why_ _I was punished, or what happened to the water elemental's child and his mother.'_

She decided to play with her yo-yo while she waited for Ryuzaki. He was in a nearby internet café. Raine had no idea what he was doing there. She was just grateful that he wasn't keeping a constant watch on her everywhere they went anymore. It had really annoyed her at times. It wasn't that she didn't enjoy being with Ryuzaki; she just liked a little personal breathing room every now and then. Ryuzaki had no problem leaving her alone in public since she had shown him first hand she knew how to defend herself. He had only allowed her that luxury after lecturing her with what seemed like an entire book of safety precautions.

She did several tricks with her yo-yo and almost lost herself in thoughts of boasting about her skill. She felt a hand touch her shoulder and almost immediately yanked away, prepared to attack if necessary. Ryuzaki looked amused that he had startled her. He smiled slyly as he chewed on his thumb nail. "I have concluded my business here. Are you ready to go? We have a very long day ahead of us."

"Yeah? And what is it exactly that _'we'_ are doing today?"

"We're going whale watching in 3 hours, followed by an early dinner and play."

"You always make it sound like a date."

"Perhaps that's because it _is_ a date."

"It's not just another _outing_ this time, huh? You told me once you didn't do _dates_."

"For the time being, I've changed my mind. You may take it or leave it. It really doesn't make any difference to me either way."

"Gee, you really know how to romance a lady with words and attitude." She rolled her eyes and looked away. "I'd be more than happy to go on a _date_ with you. I'd like to see what makes it so different from one of our usual _outings_."

"Perhaps the difference will only be minor, or perhaps something major. I haven't really decided yet."

She laughed slightly at his absent enthusiasm; and at the same time, wondered what he was up to.

* * *

Ryuzaki never put any effort into his wardrobe. He always wore a long sleeve t-shirt and jeans. The shirts were white eighty percent of the time. Every now and then (on very rare occasions), he'd wear a different color just to show appreciation to Raine for picking it out for him. She had bought him several different styles and colors to wear on his _off _days. Raine asked him one day why he wore white so often.

"When speaking of color in terms of pigment rather than light," he replied, "white is the absence of any color. Before I met you, my life had no color. If I were to look at it in terms of light, white would be every color combined; which means I never have to worry about choosing a favorite." After seeing that Raine was impressed with his explanation, he decided to tell her the truth. "Actually, I just have better things to do with my time rather than worry about what I'm going to wear. White shirts are simple and they're never hard to find."

Today, Ryuzaki wasn't wearing white. He was wearing a grey sweatshirt and black cargo pants. It was the very first clothing ensemble that Raine had surprised him with during their stay in Germany. It was simple and casual; yet for Ryuzaki, it was dressing up. His hair was its usual wild mess, but she wouldn't have preferred it any other way. "Woah! It's always so strange seeing you wear different colors! I love it though! You look really nice!"

He looked a little uncomfortable. "Is this the way you prefer I dress?"

"Not at all. I don't care what you wear, Ryuzaki. Comfort is all that's important."

"Wonderful. I'll go get changed." He smiled slightly to let her know he wasn't being serious and opened the door to the outside. "Shall we?"

* * *

Raine was amazed with watching the Orca whales up close in their natural habitat. Ryuzaki also found it intriguing, but he didn't show it. He was still trying to figure out what made a date different from one of their regular outings. Perhaps there was no difference. He wasn't sure how to act, so he watched the whales in silence.

"Aren't they great, Ryuzaki? Wouldn't it be a sight if one jumped out of the water?" She wished with all of her might that she could see one jump out of the water and land with a huge splash.

"I suppose." The whales weren't being particularly active. Ryuzaki was a little disappointed. He had wanted to make Raine's day an unforgettable one. He silently pleaded with the whales to jump for her. _'Please breach for her; just once.'_

He heard a sudden gasp of amazement from Raine. "Ryuzaki, look! They're starting to jump!"

Ryuzaki couldn't believe his eyes. It was almost unnatural. The whales were wildly playing with a series of breaches, lob tails and spy hops. The sudden burst of activity caused the boat to rock. It was like watching a show at Sea World. Ryuzaki's arched his brow in astonishment. _'That was certainly… convenient. Only seconds ago, they were calm and logging. Luck is apparently on my side today.' _

Even the boat captain made a comment over the speaker. "It looks like they decided to show off for us today!" Ryuzaki had lost himself in the irony. He noticed that Raine was holding on to him, but had no idea how long she had been there. He smiled and kissed her on the head. "Well, was this worth two hours of our time?"

"It was more than worth it!"

Ryuzaki was pleased. _'This is going better than expected. If my luck continues, perhaps she'll finally tell me what I need to know.'_

* * *

They had dinner at a seafood restaurant that sat right next to the ocean. "I don't think they'll have syrup here, Ryuzaki."

"That isn't a problem." He had no problem accessing the side pocket on his cargos while he sat perched in his usual position at the table. He retrieved a handful of sugar packets from it and tossed them on the table. Raine raised an eyebrow. "So, that's the reason you wore the cargos. You know, you could just use the sugar the restaurant offers."

"I've found that most restaurants now-a-days use artificial sweetener instead of sugar; so I came prepared just in case."

'There's a difference?"

"There's a _huge_ difference. Artificial sweetener is not our friend."

He said it so seriously, it made her laugh. Ryuzaki tasted the lobster bisque and made a face. Raine continued to laugh silently as he picked up five packs of sugar and tore them open all at once. He stirred it into the soup and tasted it again. After repeating the process with two more bags of sugar, he was satisfied.

"That's sort of gross, Ryuzaki. Sugar can't possibly go well with everything."

"I beg to differ."

"You're going to fall into a diabetic coma one day."

"Perhaps. The thought doesn't really frighten me. I'm only going to live once. Why not indulge in the things that make me happy for the short time I'm here. Then perhaps I'll be able to die happy. There aren't many people who are able to do such."

"You're so warped."

"Yes, I am." A creepy smile formed on his face. Raine couldn't help but giggle at the expression.

He ordered a bottle of the most expensive wine available. Ryuzaki hated wine, but he didn't see that as a good enough reason to deny Raine a drink. She had downed two glasses in less than 10 minutes. Wine was apparently something new to add to her list of likes. She poured herself a third glass and brought it to her lips, only to find Ryuzaki's hand covering the top of the glass. "I would highly prefer it if you maintained your sobriety this evening."

"She put the glass down on the table. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to get carried away. It's just really good wine. You should try some."

"I'll pass."

She shrugged. "Suit yourself."

As they dined on the main course (and Ryuzaki continued to pull endless bags of sugar out of his pocket), Raine decided to ask Ryuzaki about his background. She was new to consuming alcohol, so the two big glasses of wine she had consumed so quickly had given her a slight buzz. She hoped that Ryuzaki wouldn't notice if she kept him talking. She decided a few basic questions were long overdue. "So, Ryuzaki… do you have any other family aside from Watari?"

"No."

"How are you related to Watari exactly?"

Ryuzaki frowned. "I think I know where this is going. This is your version of a background check."

"Yeah, I guess it is."

"I suppose I could tell you my story provided you answer one of my questions in return."

"Sounds fair." The wine was obviously talking. She should have foreseen what his question would be.

"I'll go first to make sure you're being sincere. What do you dream about at night?"

She sighed lowly to herself. "If I start keeping a journal for you, will you get off of this dream crap? This has been going on for months! It's getting very old!"

"A journal wouldn't work. You'd only write down the dreams that have no significance. However, if you insist on sharing those with me, I would be more than interested in reading about some of your erotic dreams; assuming you have them."

She ignored his perversion. "Why, Ryuzaki? Why is it so important? Can you not at least offer me that much?"

"I could. But I'd like to avoid it until I have more information from you. I do not wish to put myself in a venerable position."

"Venerable?"

"I suppose you don't really want to hear about my background."

Raine thought about it for a moment. She decided she was being unfair to him. Ryuzaki was far from stupid. He knew that her dream was the reason she had suddenly decided not to pursue her past, and he more than likely suspected that she had figured out at least part of who she really was. A dream that was capable of producing such results was not the kind that could be easily forgotten. It wasn't really all that unusual for him to be overly curious. She picked out a piece of information that she knew would be harmless.

"I know what the symbols on the flute mean."

Ryuzaki perked up. "I knew it. I wasn't wrong. You've been withholding information from me this entire time, despite my constant pleas with you to tell me the truth." His eyes narrowed slightly. He was glad that she was finally willing to come clean; yet at the same time, he felt a little hurt that she would willingly hide something so important from him.

"I'm… sorry. It's just that dreams normally don't apply to reality. In fact, nothing I've managed to learn about myself is really believable."

"Try me."

"As long as you promise not to have me committed to a mental institution, I can tell you about the flute."

He frowned at her. "_Only_ about the flute?"

She glared at him hard. "I've got nothing else to tell you."

He didn't like where this was going. Though he wasn't at all happy with her for trying to keep him in the dark, he hadn't lost his determination to make their date a memorable one. "I don't want this to ruin our evening together. You can tell me about the flute later. It isn't exactly what I was looking for, but I'm sure the information will be useful all the same. In return, I shall discuss with you my upbringing."

They continued to eat in silence. Raine took another sip or two of wine (though Ryuzaki gave her a dirty look) and Ryuzaki sprinkled sugar on everything except the lobster (which surprisingly seemed to pass his taste test all on its own). Soon, they were both finished and on their way.

"So, what sort of play are we going to see, Ryuzaki?"

"There's a Shakespearian festival here in Vancouver that I think you will find interesting. I have tickets to see Falstaff, which is actually Henry IV, parts 1 and 2. I believe there will be a firework display as well."

Raine frowned slightly. She had never been very big on plays dealing with politics and monarchs. The expression didn't go unnoticed by Ryuzaki. "I realize it isn't Romeo and Juliet, but I really think you should give it a chance. According to the reviews, the actors that will be performing are amongst the finest in Vancouver."

"That will only prove true if they're talented enough to spark my interest in an otherwise boring story."

"It isn't like we'll be watching Henry V. That one isn't scheduled this evening. Falstaff is a little different. I'm sure it won't be what you're expecting."

Though it was weak, she managed a smile. "I'm sorry; I'll give it a chance. I don't mean to seem unappreciative."

"I don't think you're unappreciative. Spoiled, perhaps, but not unappreciative."

* * *

Raine was truly impressed with Falstaff. She was pleasantly surprised by the storyline and the actors did an outstanding job. She was especially impressed with the actor that played Prince Hal. Not only was he a strong performer, he was strikingly good looking. She giggled like a school girl almost every time he had a line.

"My god, Ryuzaki! Isn't Hal adorable?"

"I'm not going to say he's _adorable_; but he is indeed a fine actor. It's ashamed we won't have the opportunity to see Henry V."

Raine poked out her bottom lip. "I wish they could do it back to back."

"They will be performing it back to back later this weekend, but I'm afraid we'll be in another country by then. Besides, if I remember correctly, you hate Henry V."

"That was before I realized how incredibly handsome Henry was."

"Should I assume I have competition?" He said it teasingly.

Raine leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. "He may be beyond cute, but he's not L."

"No. He's not me. It's odd, however. Strangely, I feel like I know him somehow. Perhaps this isn't the first time I've seen him perform."

"Maybe you're connected with him somehow in another lifetime… or a parallel universe! Like a distant brother. That would be interesting."

The mention of the word '_brother'_ made Ryuzaki think about B. B's sentence was exactly as he had predicted- life in prison with no chance of parole. Ryuzaki forced the thought to the back of his mind and focused on the events unfolding in front of him on stage. Beyond Birthday was a guilt that refused to die.

The performance resulted in a standing ovation from the crowd; Ryuzaki and Raine being among the first to stand. Ryuzaki had worried in the beginning that Raine would be bored with the play; due in part to her initial reaction when he told her what they were seeing. He silently thanked '_Prince Hal' _for making sure that didn't happen. Thus, his date was still going reasonably well.

The fireworks were beautiful. Raine enjoyed the comfort of being in Ryuzaki's arms as a parade of colors lit up the night sky. She was grateful that Ryuzaki had allowed her to remain with him for awhile, even though she knew the time would eventually come when she would have to try and make it on her own. She couldn't expect Ryuzaki to take care of her forever. It wouldn't be right. She wanted to contribute to the rest of the world just as he was doing. Now, she felt more like a parasite indulging in the pleasures of life, yet giving nothing back in return.

Ryuzaki, meanwhile, was losing himself in the scent of Raine's cherry blossom perfume. He wanted to forget all about the tension between them that stemmed from his recent bad habit of chasing dreams. He wanted to forget all about it so they could just live happily ever after in their own cheesy little love sick world. He took a deep breath and tightened his hold on her. As much as he wanted to forget about it, he wouldn't allow himself to completely abandon it. He knew for a fact that Raine had a connection to the nightmare that had haunted him for as long as he could remember. She said the name in her sleep on an almost nightly basis. He had to know what was going on before he could move forward. Tonight however, his desires were drowning out his voice of reason_. 'This is ridiculous. I love her. I shouldn't be denied what I want more than anything because of a stupid dream.'_

"Raine…" He released her so she could turn to face him. He couldn't find the words to continue once he had her attention. Her golden yellow eyes had melted them away. A lack of words wasn't something he was accustomed to. It made him feel weak; and he hated it. He placed a hand on her shoulder and gently caressed her face with the other. For anyone else, it wouldn't have been such a big deal; particularly after having over 8 months to prepare for it. For Ryuzaki, it was a bold move- one that was causing his lower jaw to tremble. He stared at her in silence while he tried to gather his nerve.

He slowly leaned in toward her lips until he was only two inches away. "Should I assume you know what it is I'm about to attempt?" Before she had a chance to register everything and answer, his lips were resting on hers. He couldn't remember a time when he had felt more awkward. A new chapter was now in the making, and he was just as afraid as he was excited. He pulled away from her with sudden urgency and looked up at the fireworks. He felt he was on the verge of a panic attack. "I'm sorry. I've never had to deal with a situation such as this. I'm not sure I know what I should do or how I should act."

Ryuzaki was so anxious, he was standing up straight like an arrow; as stiff as a block of ice. Raine rested her hands on his shoulders and lifted herself up slightly on her toes. "You don't have to act a certain way. Just be who you are. Quit thinking so hard for once and let yourself go." She kissed him lightly on his lips. His eyes widened at first, but he then allowed himself to completely relax. He closed his eyes and sank into her kiss. He caressed her face again and took her hand into his other. After 8 long months of tension, they had finally stopped holding back.

He was a little unsure of himself at first; but as their kiss grew deeper, he realized that kissing was much like tying knots in cherry stems, only one hundred times better. When they pulled away, Raine noticed his eyes looked almost drunk. She smiled and nudged his nose with hers. "That's funny. I'm the one who drank the wine. I figured I would be the one with the drunken gaze."

He laughed shyly, feeling weak in his knees. "I suppose love is a little more potent than alcohol; and it just so happens I've been drinking it non-stop for several months now."

Just as Ryuzaki had hoped for, the evening was one that had totally blown Raine away; and she would always remember it with a smile.

.

**I was really conflicted about how much story and detail I should put into thier first kiss, so I made it as modest as I possibly could to start out with. I almost took it a lot further. I know I rated this M for mature, but I also realize I have a few reader's who don't handle lemons well. That isn't to say I'm taking my rating down. I'm just going to put extra warnings where needed in the future so people can have the option of skipping over parts. There will soon be some moments they share together that will be a little intense for some. Thanks for reading guys! And long live Prince Hal! LOL!**


	13. Tease

**I do not own Death Note!**

**Author's Note: Lime ALERT! This entire chapter is pretty much nothing but lovey dovy touching. I need you to keep in mind that L has grown comfortable with touching her at this point, though it has taken him over 8 months. In fact, you'll still see him hesitating here. If L is OOC in this chapter, then I'm really sorry. I tried really hard, but L is a super tough character to write romance scenes for. **

**For those who don't want to read through this (people who do intend to read can stop reading my potential spoiler ramble coming next), I at least recommend the last part. Something very ****significant**** happens at the end. Aside from that, just know that one of the reasons L is trying so hard to please her is because he's trying to get her to talk. It's as much an interrogation technique as it is a sincere show of affection. **

**Cookies to the ones who can figure out which conspiracy theory L refers to when he talks about the celebrity suicide.**

Ryuzaki was in junk food heaven. Since their arrival in Japan, he was hardly ever seen without a mouthful of candy, cake, or chocolate. The hotel room had trays full of Pocky, Yan Yan, Hello Panda Cookies, and cream-filled strawberry marshmallows. There was even oolong tea flavored taffy. Ryuzaki had completely buried himself in his work following the days after his first _date_. There were no morning runs, no capoeira exercises, and no outings to see the beauty of Japan. He only desired the constant indulgence of sweets, and solving cases was a valid excuse for him to stay in his room all day and snack.

Raine had grown bored watching Ryuzaki sit in front of his computer for hours. She leaned against the wall as she played with her yo-yo and sucked on a Pocky stick. She had spent the first half of the day following Watari around. Raine had grown to see Watari as a father figure just as Ryuzaki had. She enjoyed running errands with him and helping out when she was needed.

Ryuzaki had not mentioned the discussion they were supposed to have- the one where he exchanged the story of his childhood in exchange for information concerning the flute. Raine knew that there was no way he could have forgotten. He was either waiting on something, or avoiding it.

She put her yo-yo away and stretched. Her heavy sigh apparently caught his attention, because he suddenly turned away from the monitor and studied her in silence. Raine had grown used to the silent staring games. More often than not, they would have such moments- moments when they would watch each other without sharing a word or expression. As usual, Raine was the first to look away. Ryuzaki popped a strawberry marshmallow into his mouth. "Would you like to sit with me?"

Raine was a little surprised. He had never asked her to sit with him while he was working before. "S-sure." He scooted back enough for her to sit between him and the computer. Stuffing two more marshmallows into his mouth, he extended his hand to her. His cheeks puffed out like a chipmunk as he tried to speak with his mouth full. "There's no need to be shy. As long as I'm surrounded by all of these sweets, the chances of me biting are very low."

"Unless, of course, you mistake me for a marshmallow." She gave her hand to him and allowed him to slowly guide her down to rest in front of him. He was in his usual crouched position, and she was sitting in between his legs. He caressed Raine's face and tucked her hair behind her ear before wrapping his arms around her. His chin rested on her shoulder as his attention turned back to the monitor. "Would you like to see a few of the cases I've been working on?"

"Okay… but why? You haven't offered to share a case with me since the Black Rose Murders."

He lightly kissed her ear and whispered softly. "It gives me a valid excuse to hold you." His breath tickled her ear; sending chills all through her body. He moved away from her ear and returned to resting his chin on her shoulder. "Besides, unlike a certain someone, I have very little left to hide."

Ryuzaki went through several cases with her that he had worked on since their arrival to Japan. Much to Raine's surprise, none of the cases were actually _in_ Japan. He told her the reason for this was because distance made it harder for people to track his location in a given timeframe. There was a case in the US that dealt with the recent suicide of a celebrity. Ryuzaki had managed to prove that it was actually foul play.

"The man injected enough heroin and tranquilizer into his system to kill an addict three times over; and yet still managed to place the syringes neatly back into the drug kit, lift up a rifle, position it correctly and pull the trigger before the drugs had a chance to render him incapacitated. There isn't a similar case recorded anywhere in history. I suppose that makes him worthy of super-human recognition."

He brought up a few more inconsistencies in the alleged suicide before moving on to another case. "Here, we have a well known CEO who was murdered alongside his family. With no known suspects and little evidence to process, the case ended up going cold. With minimal effort, I was able to trace the murders to his daughter; who had supposedly died a year earlier. It turns out she faked her own death in order to carry out the murders without falling under suspicion. She was hostile with her father for abandoning her and her mother to start a new family with a new wife. He also molested and abused her as a child. I can't imagine why she'd be so upset." His sarcasm was in poor taste.

Ryuzaki reviewed two or three more cases with her. The last involved an underground slave trade in the UK. Young women were being abducted left and right and sold through the black market as sexual slaves. Most of the girls abducted were runaways trying to survive in bad places, but more and more were being abducted from malls and college campuses. The market was apparently in high demand. It was exactly the sort of operation he had feared Raine would fall prey to if she were to leave his protection without an identity or place to go.

It was an odd case for a detective of his stature to follow, given the location. Ryuzaki had shut down several similar operations in Tokyo, Los Angeles, Miami, Mexico and Hong Kong; but London was a much smaller circuit. It was so small in fact; Ryuzaki didn't really consider it worth his time. All of the major cities had operations such as these. Some were small and local; others ran through a series of national and international networks. He only loosely followed this particular case because the London authorities were practically begging him to. He had yet to actually agree to take the case.

He closed his laptop and intertwined his fingers with Raine's. Since they had shared their first kiss in Vancouver, Ryuzaki found himself getting very brave with human contact. He planted kisses along the nape of her neck. Each one made Raine shiver with pleasure. Her neck was one of her weak spots. She closed her eyes and released a shaky breath. His lips were close to her ear again. "Provided you have no other plans at the moment, I would very much like it if we could exchange that information now."

She sighed heavily as she toyed around with the idea of telling him everything. _'What would it really hurt? It was just a dream, after all; and I want to be open and honest with him. How much damage could it possibly do?'_ "Okay, then. I'm assuming you want me to go first."

"What do the symbols on the flute mean?"

"They tell the story of Vasilia, the wind goddess. It's written in the language of the elements. The webs that connect each symbol represent pathways that connect the worlds. It also represents lifespan as one big network."

"And the song?"

"It's the song of the wind. There are several variations of it played for different reasons. The song I normally play specializes in gentle breezes. With that song, I have the ability to walk people through their problems and help them obtain wisdom from their journey." Raine was surprised with herself. Onasisk hadn't given her that much information about the flute. Somehow, she just seemed to know about the different song variations and which one she was partial to. It wasn't so apparent to her days earlier. Was she starting to regain her memories?

"A supernatural flute. That's very interesting. And how exactly, may I ask, did you come to possess such an instrument?"

"It was a gift."

"From?"

"From Vasilia, the wind goddess, of course."

He tightened his hold on her. "My dear… you do realize that I can't accept any of that as fact. I'm more inclined to believe you're recycling the fool's theory that I mentioned to you while we were on the beach in Sydney."

"I knew you wouldn't believe me. It was just a stupid dream that you shouldn't be making such a big deal about."

"The flute is an item of interest, but it holds minimal importance at the moment. You have a reoccurring nightmare that has nothing to do with the instrument. _That_ is the dream I need to know about."

Raine looked puzzled. "How on earth would you know if I had reoccurring dreams?"

He removed his arms from around her and whispered in her ear again. "Raine… I need you to turn around and look at me." Slowly, she turned and met his eyes. He took both of her hands into his and kissed them several times. His dark eyes focused on her face. "You have a very bad habit of talking in your sleep."

Raine had no idea what to say. _'My god, what have I been saying that's had him so worked up all this time?'_ Ryuzaki studied her intently as she allowed what he had just said to fully sink in. "Ryuzaki… I…"

He brought his finger to her lips. "I'd really prefer it if you refer to me as _L_ when we're alone like this."

"O-okay… _L_." It wasn't really a big surprise to her. _L_ was his most powerful alias; and being referred to as such probably helped him maintain his confidence. That was her theory. "What exactly is it that I say in my sleep?"

"If I told you, you would only use the information to cloak the truth. I've already revealed more to you than I originally intended as it is."

"You're suggesting that I'm a chronic liar?"

Instead of answering, he held her chin and guided her mouth to his. Raine couldn't help but give in to his advance completely, despite the topic of conversation. She had yearned to feel him for months. It was a very modest kiss, but it was enough to spark her arousal. He pulled away slowly from the kiss and gently ran his thumb across her bottom lip. "I'm going to give you a little time to think about what I just told you before I continue with my questions."

In that moment, he debated whether or not to continue kissing her or go back to indulging in his Japanese junk food. They both sounded so delicious to him. She helped him reach a final decision as she moved in for another kiss. He lost his balance and fell out of his crouched position. "Perhaps the floor isn't the best place to do this." He stood up and helped her to her feet.

As soon as they were both standing, they were kissing again. Ryuzaki… L… gently ran his tongue over hers as Raine's hand moved across his back. The other moved under his sleeve, up and down the length of his arm. L traced the edges of her tongue with his own and then sensually sucked on it. He rested his hands on her waist, trying to fight the urge to move them under her shirt or into her pants.

They took turns sucking on each other's lips until they were swollen. Both of them moaned softly into each other's mouths with each kiss. The whole process seemed a little sloppy, but their built up passion was too strong to be concerned with form. She broke away from his kisses briefly and smiled. "You taste like strawberry marshmallows." She moved down to his neck and kissed the front of his throat; just below his atom's apple. He threw his head back and chocked back on a moan of pleasure as she sucked on the sensitive area. His breaths came out in broken patterns.

L's arousal was fighting to push through his jeans. He moved his hands up her back, making sure not to venture beneath the fabric of her shirt. Every jolt of passion that went through his body completely overwhelmed him. He felt he no longer had any control over his reasoning. He was almost grateful when Raine returned her kisses to his mouth. The oral stimulation of his lips prevented him from falling into a nervous panic. He was feeling too many emotions at once and the feeling of losing control threatened to send him into overdrive.

They were in the middle of a very long and passionate kiss when L felt her urgently pushing her hips against his arousal. He immediately broke the kiss and tried to catch his breath. He brushed his bottom lip against his top teeth as he studied her face. He was trying with everything in him to revert back to his indifferent demeanor, but it wasn't working. His eyes trailed down to their hips, which were now pressed firmly against each other. He hesitated and moved his eyes back up to Raine's. "Is it your desire… to make love?"

"Yes." Her breath was just as shaky as his was. Her voice was a pleading whisper. Still trying to steady his breathing, L held her tightly in his arms and rested his head on her shoulder. He closed his eyes and tried to savor the embrace, but he felt himself starting to tremble. His body was ready and willing, but his feelings were still very conflicted. He didn't feel that Raine loved him in the same depth that he loved her. It bothered him. She hid things from him purposely- things that really meant something.

He wanted to know who she was. He wanted to know how they were connected. If she refused to be honest and open with him, despite his persistent pleas, then perhaps she really didn't return his sentiment. He had worked very hard to make sure she never fell prey to his own lies (with the exception of the time she discovered that he was L). It had been a lot easier said than done in those sorts of moments. He did consider himself the father of lies, after all. Still, if someone who survived on lies, as he did, could make a sincere attempt at being honest; why couldn't she do the same for him? He didn't think he was making an unreasonable request.

Raine could feel him trembling. It was becoming obvious that L was not completely ready for an intimate relationship. "L, we don't have to do this if you aren't comfortable with it."

L withdrew from the embrace and placed his hands on her shoulders. "Please don't address me as if I'm a virginal maiden. My ego despises it." He tried to say it with confidence, but he knew in that moment that he really was as venerable as a virginal maiden. His mind scratched out the word _maiden _to ease his male ego. He couldn't take away the _virginal _part. That part was actually true, though he didn't see any reason to let Raine know that.

He forced all of his doubts to the back of his mind and focused entirely on his lust. It was the only way he was going to get through it. He couldn't dwell on his love when he wasn't entirely sure it was returned. That would only result in heartache; and Detective L did **_not_** suffer from petty things such as heartache. He kissed her passionately before lifting her up and carrying her to the bed. Still fully clothed, they continued to make out heavily; grinding their hips against each other fiercely.

L was very reluctant to remove either of their clothes. An alarm was beginning to go off in his mind_. 'It shouldn't be like this. This isn't what I want for her or myself. If we continue this way, it'll turn into a meaningless sexual release and nothing more. She's worth far more than that.'_ Their foreplay was too urgent and rough for the occasion.

He suddenly felt her hand trailing under his shirt. Her other hand was going for his jeans. He jerked in a half hearted protest. He really wasn't ready for this. He wasn't going to have sex with her for the sole purpose of satisfying his lust. If that was all he cared about; then he was rich enough to pay for it. He wasn't about to treat _his_ Raine like a common hoar.

L took her hand and removed it from his underneath his shirt. He slowly kissed right above her knuckles and allowed her fingers to intertwine with his. Half of his weight on top of her, he looked down at her lovingly and smiled. "I realize we've both wanted this for quite a while; but I think it would be for the best if we slowed it down slightly." He could still feel himself trembling.

Raine was still breathing heavily. "I'm sorry. I guess I got a little carried away."

She started to sit up, but L placed his free hand on her chest as a stop signal. "No. Not yet." His voice was a whisper. "I can't leave you completely unsatisfied."

L tickled the palms of her hands with his finger tips and trailed them down to the pulse area of her wrist. The tingling sensation brought back the shakiness in Raine's breath. He cuffed his hands around each of her wrists and held them gently down on the bed, leaving his index fingers free to move across the top half of her palms. He nudged his nose against hers and lightly tugged on her bottom lip with his mouth. "What am I to you, Raine?" His eyes locked onto hers as he awaited an answer.

She lifted her head up to kiss him, but he pulled his head away from her reach. "No, Raine. You will tell me first."

"What are you? Y-you're everything. My entire world revolves around you. You're my night and day."

He ventured to her ear and ran his tongue over the fold directly behind it. "How very poetic…" His hair tickled the side of her face as he whispered in her ear. "But I wonder if it's sincere." His tongue traced over the edges of her ear, leaving it wet enough to intensify the sensation when he lightly blew on it. He tugged and sucked on her earlobe before continuing down to her neck. The faint moans and shaky breaths he was pulling out of her made his head swell. _'And to think, I've never done this before.'_

Raine's next response interrupted his silent gloating. "It's very sincere! I'm very much in love with you, L."

L moved away from her neck and studied her face. His hands released her wrists and moved up to interlock with her own. "_Love_… and what is it that _lovers_ do?"

Raine hesitated. "They… share… things with each other?"

"Exactly… They share things with each other; _share,_ being the keyword."

She knew exactly what he was referring to; and she had decided there was no reason to protect him from a silly dream that wasn't even believable. She still dreamed about the child every now and then, but Onasisk had not reappeared to her again. How could a dream possibly hurt L? She wasn't going to hide anything from him anymore. "L, I'm sorry I've been holding back; but I'm ready now to tell you everything you want to know."

A smile started to form on his lips. It soon radiated into a full grin, though it was brief. "Raine, you don't know how happy you've just made me." He released one of her hands and caressed her face. "Have you regained any of your memories?"

"No, but I have an unrealistic idea of who I was."

Before continuing, L shared another kiss with her. His hands were now trailing down to her stomach. "Who were you?" His hand slid about two inches underneath her shirt. His index finger lightly glided over her birthmark; which was apparently a very sensitive area for her. She jumped slightly at his touch. He asked her again. "Who were you?"

"My name was… Akaia."

"Akaia… a very beautiful name; and is that the name my lover wishes me to address her by from this point on?"

"No. My name is _Raine_ now."

Still under her shirt, his fingertips ran up and down her sides. Jolts of pleasure coursed through her. He smiled. "Does that tickle?"

"Yes." Every breath was irregular.

L sucked lightly on her top lip and traced her bottom lip with his thumb. "Good." He managed to whisper in between tugs on her lip.

Raine attempted to return his caresses, but he took her hands into his again so she couldn't. He couldn't lose himself to her touches. He was too afraid of feeling venerable and out of control. He couldn't maintain control of the situation if he allowed himself to completely let go. L always had control. The thought of surrendering even a small piece of it terrified him. A gentle caress from her would bring his very soul down to its knees, begging for more. He couldn't allow that to happen. He wasn't ready...yet. "Just relax and enjoy it. I don't need anything in return."

He sat up and pulled her up with him. She wrapped her arms around him and pulled herself close. "L, it isn't fair to you for me to take and not give."

"You're finally communicating with me. That's more than enough. Share your world with me and I will be more than happy to give myself to you completely. I'm aching to make love to you." He was so completely smitten with her, perhaps giving in wouldn't be so terrifying after all.

L lightly tugged at the bottom of her shirt as they continued to kiss. She got the signal and promptly removed it. L admired her adoringly as he lightly ran his hands all over her flesh. Raine loved the way his hands felt. They were strong, yet very soft. They had never known the burden of hard manual labor. Chill bumps formed all over her as his hands continued to explore her. "How did you learn about your real name?"

He kissed all over her chest as he awaited her answer and contemplated removing her bra.

"My cousin, Onasisk, told me. He's the source of the voice I heard in New Orleans and Sydney. He's an earth elemental."

"And I assume you're supposed to be an air elemental?" He had decided removing the bra was more than necessary. He searched for the latch as he questioned her.

"Yes."

"And you haven't seen or heard from _Onasisk_ since?"

"I'm afraid not."

He smiled as he finally unhooked her bra and slowly slid the straps off her shoulders. "You're a very creative dreamer. However, it doesn't really fit the description of a nightmare." Her bra was off now. His mouth hung open slightly as he took in the sight. Raine could see his tongue moving across the bottom of his teeth. L wanted to touch them, but his hands were hesitating. Raine helped him do what he obviously wanted to do, but couldn't. She took his hands and placed them on her breast.

His face went from an almost sickly pale to a bright shade of red. L remained completely frozen. Very slowly, his nerve was starting to leave him; just as it had always done in the past since he had known her. Raine brought him back to reality. "Do you regret this?"

L shook his head; more so as a gesture to shake off his daze than an answer to her question. He pulled her closer to him and kissed her passionately. "I regret nothing." His hands cupped themselves around her breast and very gently started massaging them. His mouth paid special attention to each one; sucking, nibbling and flicking his tongue across her nipples. Raine closed her eyes and tilted her head back. She was well past arousal. Every little sensation she felt made her want him even more.

They lay back down on the bed and continued kissing every part of each other's flesh they could reach. L was now stimulating her nipples between his thumbs and index fingers. Each moan of pleasure that escaped her swollen lips sent him further and further into ecstasy. His kisses moved down to her stomach. He started with her belly button area and then slowly moved over to her birthmark. His touch was soft and sensual. He wanted to take his time and savor every last second of intimacy. Raine didn't mind one bit. His teasing was about to send her over the edge.

"Is there anything else you would like to tell me before I venture any further?" He blew lightly over the areas he had just kissed and ran his index finger just below the hem of her jeans while he waited on her to catch her breath.

"Y-Yes. T-there's more… in my dream. There's a little boy."

She was getting closer to what he wanted to know. In the heat of the excitement, L removed his shirt. He was finally ready to be touched in return. "Yes… that's exactly what I want… a little honesty... no dark secrets."

She was ready to tell him about Adian, but a voice that she hadn't heard in months suddenly interrupted her. "Akaia! Don't say another word!"

Raine suddenly tried to cover herself up. She didn't want Onasisk seeing her in the heat of an intimate moment. Her cheeks flushed a deep shade of red. She almost answered him out loud without thinking. L had noticed her sudden change in demeanor and moved back up to caress her face. "What is it? What's wrong?"

Onasisk was angry. "Akaia, if you say anything about Adian; so help me, I'll erase every last memory in that man's mind! Tell him I'm here, and I'll drag him into the earth with me!"

Tears suddenly formed in Raine's eyes as she registered the threat. L kissed her forehead and held her out of concern. "Raine, please tell me what's wrong. We share things with each other; for better or worse. Remember?"

Raine shook her head and almost pushed him off of her as she sat up. He had no idea what was going on, but he handed her the closet shirt he could get his hands on; which happened to be his. He noticed she was glaring in the direction of the far side of the room. "Raine… do you see something? Is everything ok?"

There was no response from Raine. Her anger and energy were focused on an object that only she could see. She was getting glared at by that object just as hard. "I don't want him touching you anymore;" he growled, "he isn't right for you." A sudden tremor shook the room. Seeing that Onasisk was using his power to bully her, something awakened inside of her. _'So, you wanna play…'_

L was determined to get some sort of response from her. "Your… cousin, I presume?" He had felt the tremor. He actually meant it to lighten the mood; but it did the exact opposite.

Raine saw Onasisk raise his hand. He was about to do something to L. She just knew it. Without warning, a strong gust of wind swept through the room. As it engulfed Onasisk, he heard her threat through the wind streams. _'If you touch him, I'll blow you away from your precious earth and have you sealed away; just like those damned corpses in that cemetery.'_

It was the most unnatural thing L had ever witnessed. _'So the fool was actually right.'_ He was starting to wonder if he was even awake. "I'm going to pretend I didn't just see that."

Onasisk had disappeared, but his voice was still present. "You stupid woman! You just pissed away about 12 years of your human lifespan with that little display! You cannot use those kinds of powers while you are human or you will die!" His parting words startled her. "Gukku, you know what needs to be done."

_'Gukku? There's another one? Oh shit! What is he going to do?'_

"Is there any particular reason you're wearing my shirt?"

Raine turned to see L sitting blankly beside her; still shirtless. "You… gave me your shirt- after we...don't you remember?"

"I remember no such thing. I've spent the entire day eating strawberry marshmallows and pocky, fully clothed. Why would I give you the shirt off of my back when I've made sure that you have plenty of your own?" He noticed a bruise on her neck and arched his brow. "Raine… that bruise wasn't there earlier. If I didn't know any better, I would assume we've been… no… I would definitely remember something like that."

He leaned in closure to get a better look at her neck, hiding the fact that he was insanely jealous and slightly angry. His thumb pressed into his bottom lip. "You've been getting better acquainted with that bellboy haven't you?"

"W-what? No!"

"Please be sure to inform him that he'll no longer be receiving any tips from me. At any rate, I believe I need a shower. Perhaps you'll join me for tea and Yan Yan afterwards?"

"Y-yes. That sounds great… Ryu…zaki."

He walked sluggishly into the bathroom and closed the door behind him. '_Perhaps, I did that to her. She may have drugged my coffee. I certainly hope that's the case. I'd prefer that scenario over the bellboy.'_

Raine was astonished. Onasisk had proven that he was indeed capable of erasing memories; or at the very least, he had a companion who could do it. Raine now understood the urgency of protecting L. She couldn't tell him what he wanted to know; no matter how much he begged. What she didn't understand was why Onanisk had suddenly turned on her.

**Extra cookies for anyone who knows who Gukku is!**


	14. Orphan

It was a long ride from the airport to the Wammy estate. It wasn't really the distance that made it that way, but rather the fact that L wouldn't drop the subject of the bruise on Raine's neck. He actually started poking at it with his finger while they were in the limo. Raine was beyond annoyed. "Will you just back off?" L pulled back and perched at the very far end of the limo. It made Raine very uncomfortable to see him watching her so intently- full of suspicion.

"I want to know what you did yesterday."

"I've already told you, Ryuzaki. You and I fooled around for over an hour and then decided not to go all the way because you weren't ready."

His eyes narrowed at her. "I'm a male, Raine. There's very little chance I would not move forward with such a thing if the opportunity presented itself."

"You're a liar."

He poked his lip out and pouted. "It was a set up wasn't it?"

"A set up?"

"Yes. You wanted to invite the bellboy into the room, but you knew I would never allow it. So you drugged my coffee and allowed him to have his way with you while I was sedated. Then, to cover your tracks, you removed my shirt and put it on yourself so it would look like _we_ were the ones engaging in intimate relations. There's no way I could have touched you without remembering it. My memory is way too sharp. I could never lose track of so much time unless I was drugged. What I want to know is what drug did you use and how did you manage to get it."

Raine rolled her eyes and sighed. "I guess it would be pointless for me to say something like _you've been reading too many damn detective stories_; and would you get off of this _bellboy_ crap? Yeah, he _was_ very attractive and I giggled at his flirting; but I didn't see him anymore after he brought our bags to the room."

"Now who's the liar?"

"I'm not lying! I didn't see the stupid bellboy again!"

"But you did. He was in the lobby when we were checking out. You looked directly at him."

"I don't remember seeing… what would seeing him in the lobby have to do with it anyway?"

"It proves you're a liar. You insisted you only saw the bellboy once when in fact you saw him at least twice."

Raine wanted to kick him. "You're wrong!"

"I'm never wrong."

"You're not even making a genius deduction! You're just making up crazy scenarios because you're so frustrated about your memory lapse! This time, you're very wrong!"

She was right. L couldn't get around the fact that he had lost his memory; even if it was only a couple of hours worth. Things like that just didn't happen to him. His frustration made his mind race even more so than usual. He moved closer to her side of the limo again. He sat so close to her, she could feel his breath. Unfortunately, she wasn't enjoying the feeling this time. He was still eyeing her very suspiciously; playing with his bottom lip as he watched her. Raine couldn't take it anymore. "Please, stop this."

"If you're actually telling me the truth and I wasn't drugged; then how do you explain my lapse of memory? You should know I'm far from senile. Are you going to blame it on the little voice you heard in New Orleans and Sydney? A figment of your imagination magically appeared and erased just enough of my memory to make sure I wouldn't remember our session of foreplay? That story would work very nicely for you wouldn't it?"

'_Actually, yes it would; because it's the truth.' _L never ceased to amaze Raine. He could figure out the truth; even when he wasn't actually aware of it. "Look, I have no idea what caused your memory loss. Maybe you ate enough junk food to cause an overload and your brain just couldn't take it."

"That's highly unlikely."

"Whatever."

They remained silent for the rest of the ride. L never eased up on the suspicious looks. Raine was hiding something from him (which he didn't find very surprising). There were so many unanswered questions about her. Though Raine had told him she was no longer interested in recovering her past identity, L had still continued the search. He ran continuous checks on every record and report he could get his hands on; missing person reports, criminal and fugitive databases, death certificates, DMV records… it was as though she never existed. _'She doesn't want me to stop looking because she's no longer interested. That's just absurd. She asked me to stop because she knows who she is.'_

There were so many other things about her that didn't add up. The flute, itself, was a mystery to him. The strange markings, the hypnotic song, and its inability to be recorded baffled him. What bothered him even more was the fact that Raine knew the significance of the flute, but had yet to tell him. L had planned to speak with her about it the day before, as they had agreed; but he couldn't recall anything that had happened just after he had made the decision to do so. He had no recollection of the information she had shared with him.

The fact that she was multi-lingual was a highlighted note in his mind. It was uncommon for just anyone to possess such linguistic skill. Then, there was the most important missing piece of the puzzle. Raine knew about Adian. He had no idea how it was possible, but she knew. She knew, yet she refused to discuss it. Every time he asked her about her nightmare, she jumped on the defense. It was a huge red flag. She was deliberately holding information from him. _'She must know that Adian is connected to me somehow. She wouldn't be so reluctant to tell me what she knows if she didn't.' _

As if that wasn't bad enough, now he was trying to figure out what had happened yesterday. Something had happened to him that caused his memory lapse. He was sure that Raine knew something about it. He was angry with himself for falling in love with her. What better way to destroy L than plant a piece of bait that could infiltrate his very heart. Raine was the bait, and he had eagerly accepted it. How long before another memory lapse? How long before it turned into something worse than memory lapses? His physical well being was now being threatened. Betrayal was in the making.

The more he thought about it, the more his heart ached. He hated himself for being so foolish. L had once vowed to never feel anything but indifference towards other human beings; yet here he was, so madly in love, he was miserable. _'How did it come to this? What's happened to me?'_ He hugged his knees as he quietly sulked. He almost wished that things would go back to the way they were before Raine ever entered the picture. He wanted to be his former self- heartless, cold, and incapable of feeling. That was the image of himself that he had spent years trying to build_. 'No_ _matter how many times I lock my heart away; somehow, it always manages to escape. This time, it appears as though my heart has finally defeated me. How can I possibly go back to the way things were?'_

After a long ride full of tension, the limo finally pulled into the Wammy estate. Watari's home was in the UK; only a few miles away from the Wammy House orphanage. Raine was amazed at the European 19th century style mansion. "Wow! So this is your home, Ryuzaki?" She was hoping she could change his mood with a little small talk.

"No. This is Watari's home. I just stay here every now and then."

"So then, where's your…"

"I have no need for a home."

Raine hated it when he was short with her; but she understood why he was in such a sour mood. It pained her to know that she was the root of the problem. "Oh, okay. You… don't really want to talk to me right now, do you?"

"No, I don't."

"Fine, I'll leave you alone then." She tried to pretend it didn't bother her.

The inside of the mansion was beautiful. There was an exquisite ballroom with a beautiful glass chandelier, a library, a huge kitchen and dining area, and several studies. It even had a room with a giant screen and projector for viewing movies. Watari gave Raine a personal tour; beaming with pride the entire time. He especially enjoyed showing her the room that displayed many of his inventions. They ranged from advanced weaponry to simple household accessories. Many of them reminded Raine of the cool gadgets in the James Bond movies.

L didn't feel like tagging along on the tour. He had seen everything there was to see more than enough times. He sluggishly climbed the stairs and disappeared into one of the bedrooms, locking the door behind him. L had no desire to be bothered. Raine would have her own room there. There was no way he was going to allow her into _his_ room. He was sick of sharing everything with her and getting nothing but lies in return. He needed to be alone so he could finish sulking; and then hopefully clear his mind enough to decide what he should do about his dilemma.

* * *

Raine spent three straight days in Watari's library. She adored reading any book she could get her hands on; and Watari's library had enough books to keep her reading non-stop for years. L had remained in his room the entire time. Raine tried really hard not to think about the fine line she was currently walking with him. She knew her relationship with him was in danger; but she felt helpless in trying to make things right. For whatever reason, Raine's nightmare about the little boy was obviously very important. She didn't understand why it was such a big deal; or why Onasisk would go to such great lengths to make sure she didn't mention it to L. She only knew she had to keep her cousin from hurting him.

She sighed to herself and put away a book she had just finished. Silence constantly filled the mansion. Only on occasion, she would hear the housekeeper vacuuming the hallways. Watari stayed busy at the Wammy House orphanage and L wouldn't come out of his room. She hated feeling lonely, and she really missed talking to L. Raine decided to take a break from reading. It was still early morning and she was already starting to suffer from eye strain. She walked up and down the long hallways, admiring the artwork on the walls. It was like being in an art museum.

After awhile, she decided to play with her yo-yo. She was working on a few new tricks that she had watched a Japanese man do on television. Raine had originally thought she'd already mastered all of the professional tricks. Seeing the new tricks on television fueled her to sharpen her skill. Every now and then, the yo-yo would get away from her. Just when she thought she was getting the hang of it, it got away from her again and crashed into something. The sound of the vase shattering on the floor echoed through the front corridor of the mansion.

Raine didn't actually see it fall, but she knew from the sound it had made that it would be beyond repair. She turned around slowly to survey the damage. She was right. It was shattered into so many pieces; there was no way a little glue was going to fix it. It had been a highly expensive- perhaps even priceless- vase. Now it was worthless. Raine started to cry. She knew Watari would be upset with her for breaking his vase; and with L already upset with her, she was doomed to be the lonely outsider. That was just assuming she didn't get evicted from their little family. She felt that her time with L and Watari was nearing its end. There was too much tension between her and L and she saw herself as a burden.

She kneeled down to start picking up the bigger pieces. "Don't touch it." His voice startled her; yet at the same time, it gave her a strange feeling of comfort.

She looked up to see L standing over her and the broken vase. He was slouched over in his usual posture with his hands in his pockets. His dark eyes stared at her vacantly. L had apparently heard the crash and decided to investigate. He wouldn't have left his room for any other reason. Seeing L made Raine cry even more. "But, I have to clean it up!"

L extended his hand to her. She hesitated, and then started to reach for the glass again. "Raine…" His voice was stern. She moved her hands away from the glass and allowed him to help her up. He wiped the tears from her face with his thumbs and kissed her forehead. "I don't want you to cut yourself."

"I'm sorry! I'm really sorry! I shouldn't have been playing with the yo-yo in here! Watari is going to hate me now!"

"Watari is incapable of hating anyone."

"He'll never forgive me!"

"Raine, calm down. Watari will not be upset with you. You have my word." He embraced her as she buried her head in his chest and cried. "I'll inform the house attendant of the situation and it will be cleaned up before Watari even returns."

"I should be the one who cleans it up. I don't need anyone to pick up after me."

"The house attendant is _paid_ to clean up after people. She also has a broom and dust pan as opposed to your bare hands. I think she'll fare a little better with the chore than you will." He let go of her and slightly pulled away. "Besides, I need you to come with me. I have something for you."

"O-okay."

She followed him up the stairs to his room. As soon as they got to the door, he stopped her. "Please, wait here." L obviously still didn't want her in his room. He opened the door just enough to squeeze through it and quickly disappeared into his room, closing the door behind him. Raine stared at the floor as she waited; still upset about the vase. She dreaded seeing Watari's reaction when he returned to see it missing.

When L came back out of his room, he had a long box under his arm. Raine didn't even notice he was there; still stuck in her guilt and dread. He brushed her hair back behind her ear. "Please don't concern yourself anymore with the broken vase. The expression it creates on your face is most unpleasant to look at."

Raine sighed and closed her eyes. "It's easy for you to say. You aren't the one who broke it."

He changed the subject. "Should I assume you haven't seen the backyard yet?"

"Yes. Your assumption would be correct."

"Then that's where we'll go. There's nothing for you to break out there." He smiled to let her know he was kidding, but it still made Raine feel bad. "If you don't mind, I would like it if you could bring your flute with you."

"That's fine. I'll go get it. It's in my room."

* * *

Raine gawked at the backyard. There was a huge swimming pool, a hot tub, a shrubbery maze and a tennis court among other things. The most impressive feature was the huge exotic garden. It had a beautiful water fountain in the center and a big fish pond with a tranquil waterfall on the west side. The pond was full of Koi. The trees provide a vast amount of shade over the benches that rested along the walkways. Raine lost herself in the beauty of the scenery and the fresh scent of the surrounding flowers.

"Is the scenery to your liking?" L strolled beside her as she walked around, taking it all in.

"It's wonderful, Ryuzaki!" She smiled at him brightly. Just as he had hoped, the garden and fresh air had improved her mood. _'If I can make this day perfect for her, perhaps she will finally tell me the truth. I need this one last chance to make it work, or I won't be able to move on. If it doesn't work, then…' _

"Ryuzaki? Are you and Watari the only people that stay in this huge place?" He was glad she had interrupted his thoughts.

"Yes. However, we normally never stay here longer than a month at a time. There are caretakers that keep the estate in order during Watari's long periods of absence."

"He never married?"

"No. He was too devoted to inventing. Watari was a valuable asset to the British military in the Second World War. I imagine his work kept him so busy; he never even considered settling down as an option. "

"Did he have to give up inventing once he opened up all of the orphanages?"

"No. He still invents. Though his devotion to orphans fills most of his time; his skill is now a valuable asset to L. He's also the closest thing I have to a father- no, he _is_ my father. Blood is irrelevant."

Raine smiled. "I bet it would make him very happy if he heard you say that."

"Yes. I suppose it would."

"So… are you an orphan?"

"Yes."

"I'm… sorry."

"There's no need to be sorry. Being an orphan isn't a bad thing at all. We build our own families and most of us grow up to be productive members of society. We're only alone if we choose to be." L stopped walking. "I suppose you're still interested in my background?"

Raine thought for a moment, remembering her own end of the bargain. She was going to have to explain the flute to him all over again. "Well, yes. But you don't have to go into it if you're uncomfortable with it."

"If I was uncomfortable with it, then I wouldn't have brought it up."

"Okay then. What was your childhood like?"

"First, I want to give you this." He handed her the long white cardboard box that he had been carrying. "I'm sorry it isn't wrapped. I despise wrapping presents and the merchant refused to."

She gave him a shy smile and opened the box. She pulled the long object out of the box and unwrapped the paper around it. Her eyes grew huge when she saw what it was. It was a custom made dark wooden case with a smooth finish. The symbols from her flute had been burned into the wood. L studied her reaction as she ran her fingers over the symbols in awe. "It's a case for your flute. It will keep it from getting scratched by the other items you keep in your bag."

Tears started to trail down Raine's face again; only this time, they were the happy kind. Her enthusiastic hug almost knocked him down. He grinned as he steadied his balance, keeping his hands in his pockets. "Should I assume you're impressed?"

"It's wonderful! You couldn't have given me a better gift!" She kissed him on the cheek. He returned the affection with a soft kiss on her lips. The smile remained glued to her face. She placed her flute in the case and closed it. "It's a perfect fit!"

"I'm very happy you like it." He found a bench in front of the fountain to perch on and motioned her to sit down beside him. "My background really isn't as interesting as one would think. However, I have no problem sharing it with you if you think it will bring us closer."

Raine took her seat beside him on the bench, leaving a comfortable distance between them. Though L had grown a lot more comfortable with showing affection; those moments were still completely random on his behalf. He still required his space. L gave her a quick side glance before resting his eyes on the fountain. He was hoping his choice of words would encourage Raine to open up to him.

"I promised you I would tell you about the flute first. Don't tell me you don't remember."

L smiled to himself. She was still willing to share the information with him; even after he had deliberately given her a chance to avoid the subject. It was a small step in the right direction. "It must have completely slipped my mind. That seems to be a growing trend with me lately." Yet another indirect reference left his lips.

"The symbols on the flute are of my own making." She lied. "It tells the fictional story of a wind goddess."

L sat in silence for awhile. What she had said made perfect sense and fit very nicely inside the box of logic; but thinking inside the box was not how he solved most of his cases. "Interesting… is there something in particular that led you to remember the symbols?"

"I guess… I just sort of remembered one day."

"You _guess_?" He said it jokingly. "I suppose I'll accept that. So, what's the story?"

Raine felt herself stiffen. She still had no idea how to actually read the symbols. She only knew what Onasisk had told her. "Well… there's uh… this wind goddess… Vasilia… her name is Vasilia. She… controls the wind… and… she likes spiders."

"Spiders?"

"Well, not so much the spiders themselves; but rather the webs they spin. They symbolize the very foundation that brings all the worlds together." The more she thought about it, the more it made perfect sense that her great grandmother liked spiders. There were so many things that the webs represented in the eyes of the air elementals.

"I'm very curious to know what each of the symbols stand for and how they form a story. Perhaps you would be willing to show me the mechanics to your unique language."

"I…well uh… s-s-sure. Not today though. My eyes are strained from all of the books I've been reading in the library." She needed time to make up her own meanings and storyline.

L's face was unreadable. "I thought you might say that."

Raine didn't catch on to his insinuation. L knew she was now avoiding the subject; but he decided not to push the issue any further until the right time presented itself. "I appreciate the information concerning your flute, though I didn't learn anything that would be useful in helping me in determine your identity as I had hoped."

"Yeah, about that… will I ever be able to contribute to the rest of society without an identity? I really feel as though I should try and work for my needs instead of depending on you for everything. I should work just like everyone else in this world."

L frowned. "You already have a very important job. But if it isn't one you're happy with, I will see to it that you have the opportunity to pursue the career of your choice."

"An important job? I can't imagine what it is I do that could possibly be so important. Care to educate me?"

Instead of answering her, L shot her a quick glare. He didn't want to admit to her how important she was to him. He didn't want her to know that if anything were to happen to her while under his protection, L would not have it in him to continue his field of work. Though he still couldn't fully trust her; she had become the very backbone of L. If she wasn't safe, then L didn't function. It was as simple as that. Her most important job was keeping herself out of harm's way. Even if he couldn't make a life with her (which was now what worried him the most), she would always be under his protection. Raine was his one and only weakness. If any of his enemies knew about her, they would both surely meet their end.

There were of course, other things that made her job important. Watari had been relieved of so much stress since Raine had started helping him that he was actually starting to act younger! She was just as much an asset to Watari as she was to L. L didn't want her pursuing a career away from him; but he knew in the end, it wasn't his choice. He quickly changed the subject and dove right into the story he had promised her. "Believe it or not, I was found very much the same way you were. I appeared out of nowhere and the only clue to my identity was on a chain that they found around my stuffed panda bear's neck."

Raine quickly forgot about the previous subject. "I thought you said this wasn't going to be interesting." She moved a little closer to him so she could hear. His voice had dropped a few decibels from its normal volume. Before L continued, he reached out and pulled her even closer. He let his back relax against the bench, though he didn't put his legs down. Raine put her arm around L and rested her head against him. He turned his head long enough to initiate a long and sensual kiss before turning to face the fountain again and hugging his knees. He had grown very fond of kissing. It soothed his oral fixation quite nicely.

"When I was a small child, I was found sleeping in an alley behind an Italian restaurant by one of its employees. Aside from the blankets I was wrapped in, I was completely nude and had no possessions aside from the stuffed bear."

"Oh no! Were you injured?"

"I was bruised, but it was nothing serious. The restaurant employee called the authorities and I was treated at a clinic. When I finally woke up from my deep sleep, I had no idea who I was or what I was doing there. I only knew what I felt; and that was total despair. I felt like I had just been torn away from something, but I didn't know what it was. I noticed the bear they had kindly let me keep and studied the silver chain around its neck. There was a letter L on the chain, in the Old English font. On the back, there was a name engraved. When the doctor asked me what my name was, I gave them the name that the bear carried. I knew of no other name to use."

He traced the edges of his teeth with the top of his thumb as he spoke. "Just like in your case, they couldn't trace my identity to any missing children. They ran the name I gave them through the systems and nothing turned up. The authorities eventually handed me over to the orphanage."

"And then you met Watari?"

"No. That part comes later. However, the orphanage I was taken to was within his network. I was a difficult child to deal with. Most of the orphanages were extensions of cathedrals and the bells would ring several times a day. I was unaware at that time why I had such a problem with cathedral bells; but I would fall into frenzies every time they rang. My attitude towards the other children was always indifferent. I didn't want any part of them or the world they lived in. I hated all of them, though I had no reason to."

"So you never had any friends?"

"No. I spent most of my time in silence building towers or solving puzzles. The adults assumed I was autistic and shuffled me around from place to place in hopes of finding a facility to properly fit my needs. I made sure to make things as difficult as possible for all of my caretakers. I would tell them vicious lies just to see their reaction. I enjoyed toying with them. It was all a game to me. They were always more than happy to pass me to the next place. Over the course of 3 years, I ended up spending time at every single orphanage in Watari's network; both in Europe and North America."

"It sounds like you were a pretty angry kid. What sort of lies did you tell?"

L smirked. "The kind that hurt people. One time, I convinced a teacher that his wife wasn't really stopping by everyday just to bring him his lunch. I made him believe she was spending time with the head overseer while he was teaching a class. In a fit of rage, the teacher revealed that he was also having an affair; only his wasn't a lie. There was also a time when I made a kid who was known for bullying think he was dying of a terminal illness. He decided to start treating others with more courtesy so that he could be right with God when he died."

L paused to collect his memories. "I once had an entire classroom of people convinced that there was a child trapped under the wooden floors because of the scratching. By the end of the day, they had an emergency crew pull up the boards of the floor only to find empty space. The teacher had been so worried about the _child_, she was in tears. The noise they had heard was actually a rat infestation. It's amazing what the power of suggestion can do to the human mind. At least they got rid of the rats and they finally replaced the creaky floors. Then there was the time I…"

"Ryuzaki… I get the picture. You sound like you're actually proud of the chaos you caused. It's sort of creepy."

"I'm… sorry. As I've said before, I'm not a good person. If they would have silenced those bells," his nails dug into his knees, "perhaps then, I wouldn't have been such a problem."

"You've still yet to tell me why you have such a problem with cathedral bells."

He scowled. "You've yet to share your nightmare."

Stopping herself from taking it any further, she tried to move on. "So… how did you meet Watari?"

"As you know, Watari owns an entire network of orphanages. He was drawn to my file for several reasons; the main one being the fact that every single one of his facilities had written formal complaints about me. He was in the process of opening up an orphanage that catered to the gifted and talented when he pulled my file. My screenings revealed that I had an abnormally high IQ, so I made a perfect candidate. Seeing that I was obviously a troubled youth, Watari decided to take me in for awhile for evaluation purposes. Actually, he didn't have a choice since none of his facilities wanted to deal with me. So it was, at roughly the age of 6 or 7, I was introduced to Watari; who at the time, I addressed as Mr. Wammy."

"Don't tell me, you were mean to Watari in the beginning too!"

"Not at all. He easily won me over with junk food. As you see, his mansion is silent and free of cathedral bells. For the first time I could remember, I felt a sense of serenity being free of the cathedrals and the obnoxious children. I spent an entire summer reading every book in Watari's library and solving every advanced puzzle he offered me. He showed me the mechanics of engineering and encouraged me to find hobbies to pursue. I imagine he had originally hoped I'd show an interest in inventing. In time, I grew to deeply respect and admire Watari. He was my mentor- my father figure. Watari taught me one of life's most important lessons; one that is vital for me to remember when I'm solving cases."

"And what's that?"

"Life is not painted in black and white."

"That's very true! And what makes the lesson so great is its texture. It could refer to the simple things as well as the deeper things that go far beyond human understanding. So, you stayed with Watari from that point on. Did you get to attend the school for the gifted that he opened?"

L frowned. "Wammy House… yes, I did."

"But you didn't have to live there, right? Not since you were staying with Watari."

"Watari only stayed home for a few months at a time. He spent the rest of his time traveling around Europe and North America to survey his orphanages; much like he does today. Though he had extended his vacation as long as he could, he couldn't ignore his work forever; so after almost 6 months with Watari, I moved into Wammy House."

L recalled vividly to himself the day Watari had taken him to Wammy House. It appeared a lot nicer than most of the other orphanages he had stayed at. It was upscale and more modern. The square footage was huge and there were several different buildings scattered over it. It looked more like a college than an orphanage. L was initially very impressed; until he saw there was a cathedral on the grounds.

"_This is it L. You'll be staying here for a while." _Watari had led L to his own private room. It was odd for an orphan to have his own room. L was used to sleeping in a huge room filled with bunk beds. Though he appreciated the gesture, the building he was in was right beside the cathedral.

"_It's next to a cathedral, Mr. Wammy; a cathedral that has bells. I don't want to stay here." _L had pleaded with Watari not to leave him there. He felt betrayed; like Watari was abandoning him.

"_My dear boy, I promise you that your stay here will be nothing like your previous experiences. The children here are closer to your intellectual level and the curriculum is college level. There will be plenty of things here to keep your sharp mind well fed. I've even seen to it that you have your own room. Please just give it a chance." _Watari took the child by the hand and showed him around the rest of the campus. In the middle of the tour, the bells began to ring. Young L fell into a fetal position, covering his ears.

He looked up at Watari with tears streaming down his face. _"Please, I beg of you to stop those bells! I don't want to stay here!"_

"_L, I know you're feeling an array of emotions right now, but please…"_

"_No! You're wrong! I don't feel anything. In fact, I never want to feel anything again." _L recalled watching Watari exit the gates of Wammy House that day. Though Watari had made arrangements to silence the bells before leaving, L still watched in despair as he walked away. He stood outside in the rain for hours that night, staring out the front gate.

L was pulled out of his flashback when he realized Raine was talking to him. "Ryuzaki… Ryuzaki?"

"Yes?"

"Are you alright? You looked like you were a little out of it just now."

"I'm fine."

"You tried to stay true to what you told Watari that day, didn't you? You really didn't want to feel anything. Why?"

L closed his eyes and thought hard about what he was about to say. "I had to stop feeling, or it would have never stopped raining."

"It would have… what? What do you mean?"

He didn't answer. Instead, he sighed heavily and stood up. Raine watched him as he paced back and forth with his fists clenched tightly. Something was frustrating him. Raine knew he paced madly whenever there was something on his mind that he didn't understand. It was a rare occurrence; but it did happen every so often.

"At least Watari told them not to ring the bells anymore. That must have made a little difference."

"It did. My behavior was tolerable while I was there. I even participated in sports for awhile."

"Really, what sort of sports?"

He stopped pacing and put his hands in his pockets. "Tennis. I was the junior champion."

"Nice! Perhaps you can teach me to play one day!"

"I can teach you today."

Raine remembered there was a tennis court on the far side of the huge backyard. "You will? Really? That's great! But, I'm still curious. How did you become the world's greatest detective?"

A smile formed on his lips. "I solved my first case when I was approximately 8 years of age. I was staying with Watari at the time. It was the Winchester Mad Bombings. It was _then_ that Watari realized my true potential. Afterward, I remained at Wammy House for 5 years under an alias so the British government couldn't locate me. They were overly curious to know the true identity of the person who prevented a costly war. The Winchester Mad Bombings was a very serious case to crack; and all they knew was a mysterious detective, who called himself _L_, was the one who saved the day. After I left Wammy's House, I started traveling with Watari and building a name for myself while remaining in the shadows. There's really nothing else to tell."

Raine stood up and walked over to him, wrapping her arms around him and leaning close to his ear so she could whisper. "_L_ is your real name. Isn't it? And the name inscribed on the back of the bear's necklace; you must have used that as your surname."

L didn't answer; but instead, gave her a sly grin. It told her that she was right. _'That's why he wanted me to call him L a few days ago when we were…' _She grinned as she put her head against his chest and listened to his heart beat. "You mean no one has ever tried to track you by assuming your real name could be _L_? It's such an uncommon name! In fact, to most people, it's just a letter. Surely the people trying to find you have found your records from past orphanages."

"Their efforts are all in vain. All of my files have been destroyed; including the police report that was filed the night I was found. I have erased my very existence."

"So… is that what you'd like me to call you from now on when we're not in public?"

L smiled as he caressed her face. "I would like that very much."

He allowed one last word to escape her lips before they surrendered to his kiss. "L…"

They remained in front of the fountain and kissed for quite a while; breaking away every so often just long enough to catch their breath. Eventually, L decided to pull back and talk. "Raine," he whispered in his low seductive voice, "Play me a song."

Raine nodded. "Sure, I can do that. Does all of this mean you aren't upset with me anymore?"

L looked her in the eyes and spoke in a more formal tone. "Please, don't misunderstand me. I'm still very unhappy with your secrets. However, it isn't my intention to let it ruin the rest of our day together."

"Don't you have your usual work to do first? It's still really early in the day."

"I'm taking the day off for you; unless of course, you don't _want_ to spend the day with me." His bottom lip formed a fake pout.

"Oh, no! Don't think that! I'd love to spend the day with you! I've really missed you these past few days!"

They shared one more kiss before Raine removed her flute from her brand new case and perched on the bench in her _L pose_. She smiled brightly at L before she started playing. "You inspired this one."

L perched on the edge of the fountain and watched her as she played the new song for him. He was thankful it wasn't the one that made him fall into a trance. He wanted to hear and appreciate every note she played; and this time, he could do so knowing that every note was for him.


	15. Choice part 1

**I Do Not Own Death Note!**

**Author's Note: **

**1. I'm having to split this chapter into two parts. It has been a total headache to write! For the very first time since I started writing this story, I actually avoided it like it was a term paper for several days. The sad thing is that this isn't even the complicated part of the chapter.**

**2. I commissioned a few Deviant Art artist to draw Raine and they all did a fabulous job! Each style is very different! I'm waiting on two more, but the links to the ones that are finished can be found on my profile page. I cannot even begin to thank them enough for bringing my OC to life!**

"Are you sure it isn't just your recorder?"

"This isn't the same recorder I used last time; yet the result is still the same. Besides, the first song recorded without problem."

"Then maybe it's the tape."

"It's not the tape."

L had asked Raine to play her hypnotic song after she finished playing the one she had composed for him. He wanted to show her that it couldn't be recorded so he could get something: more information, an opinion, a reaction, a slip up… anything. He played it back for her twice. The first song- _his_ song- played back crisp and clear; but the other song couldn't be heard. All they could hear was wind blowing into the microphone.

L studied Raine's face intently as they listened to the tape. "Well, what do you think?"

"I think there's most likely a logical explanation…probably…maybe."

"So what you're telling me is that even though you're capable of playing a song that puts people into trances, makes the wind blow _and _can only be recorded as wind; you have absolutely no clue where you learned it or why it seems to have effects that clearly defy all logic and reason?"

"…I… guess that's what I'm saying."

L looked up at the sky and studied the clouds. He enjoyed cloud watching. He'd often picture himself laying on one as he looked down upon the earth; waiting for the chance to dive down and glide in the wind. The thought of what it would feel like had always fascinated him. Now, as he studied the clouds; he only thought of the heartache that Raine was causing him. She couldn't even be honest with him over something as simple as a song. He moved closer to where she was standing and hunched over enough to make level eye contact. "You know, last time I checked; it wasn't considered a felony to play a highly captivating song. I'm sure the truth wouldn't lead to your arrest."

"…"

Raine wasn't sure how much further she should take the flute subject. She wasn't sure if it would put L in danger. Perhaps her cousin's threat only applied to Adian; she wasn't sure if she wanted to test it. L pushed a little further.

"Okay then, perhaps I should try a different approach. Even though there's always a chance that any information I disclose about myself could get me killed; I told you almost everything there was to know about my childhood without giving it a second thought. Do you have any idea why I would do something like that?"

"Because you… trust me?"

"Wrong answer."

"You… don't trust me?"

"I really _want_ to trust you. If I _could_ trust you, then we would be discussing our plans to make a life together rather than dwelling on dreams that seem crucial to understanding the reality of our connection."

"What exactly is it going to take to win your trust?"

"Should I really have to answer that?"

"N-no. I guess not." Raine sighed and closed her eyes. _'As long as I leave out Adian and Onasisk; he should be safe. Even if there's no way L would believe any of it; if Onasisk is anywhere near us and thinks I'm revealing too much… I'll have to protect L somehow… even if it does cost me my lifespan.'_

L removed a grape lollipop from his pocket and handed it to her. "If there's nothing else you'd like to tell me, perhaps we should prepare for a game of tennis."

Raine took the lollipop and stuck it in her pocket for after the tennis game. "Before we do; would you happen to remember the fool's theory you were telling me about in Sydney?"

He rested his index finger on his bottom lip. "Should I?"

"Don't toy with me, L. I know you do."

"You really think so? But I can't even remember what happened 4 days ago. Why would you expect me to remember something that was brought up over 8 months ago?"

Raine took a gamble. She wasn't in the mood for his attitude. "You remembered it 4 days ago."

L's eyes widened. He grabbed both of her arms and moved towards her face until their noses were touching. "You want to tell me something. What is it?" He kissed her very lightly on the lips before repeating himself in a whisper. "What is it?"

"I have these dreams that my spirit is an air elemental. I'm not quite high enough to rank goddess… yet; but I am a descendent of one. The flute is a present from that goddess. The song I play is the song of gentle breezes. Is… that what you want? A crazy dream that is far from believable?"

He rested her forehead against hers and wrapped his arms around her. "Whether or not it's believable is irrelevant. What matters is the fact that you aren't lying to me."

"How would you know that I _wasn't_ lying?"

"Because you, my dear, are a horrible liar. Your body language alone always lets me know when you're not being truthful."

L pulled lightly at her top lip as a signal to open up and slid his tongue in her mouth to greet her own. So far, everything was going exactly as he wanted it to. A lot was at stake. The ending results of their day together would either mark the beginning of something more beautiful than he had words for; or it would mark the beginning of the end. It was her choice. He was only trying to guide her to the path he hoped she wanted to take.

He had to be on his absolute best behavior; yet he also had to steer the conversations towards the information he was seeking without pushing her too hard. Patience was to be his most tactful weapon for the evening. L lingered in every kiss he shared with her; savoring her taste. He knew there was a strong possibility that the affection they were sharing would actually serve as their goodbyes. He had to make it count. He wanted every touch etched into his memory. If there was ever a day to play Romeo; today was that day.

He took her hands into his and walked backwards as he pulled her toward the tennis court. His eagerness made him feel a little foolish, but today; foolishness didn't matter. "I really think you're going to like tennis. Since this is your first time; I promise I'll be gentle." Raine laughed sheepishly at his comment. L seemed a lot more animated than usual. It was almost completely out of character for him.

L was right. Raine really enjoyed tennis. Though L had explained the rules and scoring system to her, they weren't actually keeping track of who was winning or who was hitting the ball out of bounce (which was almost always Raine). L wasn't playing in his pro mode. They were having fun just hitting the ball back and forth. When he thought she was comfortable enough with the basics, he initiated an actual game. Still holding back his skill, he allowed Raine to score several times. In fact, he even allowed her to win a set. It was a necessary loss for him in order to keep Raine enthusiastic about the game.

"That was fun! Thanks for teaching me how to play!" Raine opened the grape lollipop L had given to her earlier. She was thrilled that L was spending the entire day with her. It actually felt like all the tension between them had suddenly vanished.

L did his favorite romantic gesture and kissed her hand. "The pleasure was all mine. You seem overheated. Are you still interested in swimming lessons?"

Raine laughed. "Wow, you actually remember that? I'd love to get in the pool! I'm a little surprised you would want to though. If I remember correctly, you hated wearing swim trunks. Don't tell me you swim in your shirt and jeans!"

"No. This is the only pool I swim in. The privacy allows me to swim without any clothes."

Raine's face went red as she giggled uncontrollably. She looked down in embarrassment as she pictured L skinny dipping.

"There's no need for you to worry, I have every intention of wearing swim shorts today."

"D-don't you ever worry about the housekeepers seeing you?"

"Do I really strike you as the sort of person who _cares_ what other people think? Besides, I normally only swim in the late hours of the night; long after the housekeepers have left for the evening."

Raine wasn't sure how to continue the conversation, so she went with the safe way out. "Ahh, I think I'll go get changed now. I'll meet you out here in say… 15 minutes?"

'Agreed."

Raine was at the pool before L. She settled at the edge of the shallow end and put her legs in; wondering if air elementals could swim. She laughed at herself. _'There's no reason why I shouldn't be able to. Any human being can do it with a little effort.'_

When L finally came out, he looked just as uncomfortable as he had looked on the beach in Sydney. He was nibbling on his thumb with one hand and trying to find a pocket that didn't exist with the other. He really hated those shorts. He dived into the deep end of the pool to kill the awkward feeling. Completely smitten, Raine watched him intently as he swam. She was impressed with his ability to hold his breath for such a long period of time. When he swam underneath the water, he was as quick and graceful as a penguin. Raine laughed out loud as she suddenly pictured L jumping out of the water and waddling. The image she had imagined was so hilarious, she had to use L's thumb biting technique to stop herself from laughing.

L popped up for air a few inches away from her feet; moving his hair away from his eyes. He caressed her feet and looked up at her lovingly. They looked at each other in silence for a minute, completely lost in the feelings they shared. Eventually, L extended his hand to her and she got into the pool; landing comfortably in L's arms. She was thankful they were only in 3 feet of water. The thought of going any deeper made her nervous.

L was also nervous; though for a different reason. Raine was hugging his bare chest, and the skin on skin contact was making him tremble. He bit his bottom lip to stop it from quivering. Raine tightened her hold on him as she felt his shakiness. It was very similar to the time they had contemplated making love. "Are you cold?"

"No. I just…" It was unlike him to stop in mid-sentence.

Raine let go of him and backed away a couple of inches. Her memory went back to their time in Japan when he had avoided her touches in the midst of a heated moment. "Are you really that uncomfortable with me touching you?"

L closed the distance she had put between them and took her into his arms. "No,no. I want you to touch me. I crave it, like I crave cake. I suppose after a whole lifetime of _not _being touched, my body is probably just in shock." He suddenly scowled as he repeated what he had just said in his mind. He normally didn't speak without thinking first. _'I really need to stop making it so obvious that I'm a virgin, or she'll have little faith in my ability to please her intimately.'_

Disgusted with himself, he moved on to the main subject. "Swimming is very easy. As long as you can float, you never really have to worry about drowning. For that reason, floating is the first thing I'm going to teach you." L held Raine as she tried to relax into a float. She thought she felt L letting go once or twice and started to tense up. She didn't like the idea of water up her nose. She valued her air too much. "Relax. I'm not going to let you go under."

After awhile, Raine got the hang of floating. L had told her to pretend like she was a big balloon filled with air, so she pretended that she was the air and her body was the balloon. It made so much sense to her; she finally relaxed enough to float. She didn't even notice when L let go. Her eyes stayed closed as she floated. When she opened them, she saw L looking down at her, holding both of his hands up to show her she was floating on her own. She smiled brightly and returned to her feet so she didn't literally drown in her excitement.

"I can do it, L! I don't have to worry about sinking like a rock now!" She was very proud of herself.

"As I said, it's very easy." L took her hand and kissed it. Raine smiled at his usual romantic gesture. She watched the droplets of water on her hand reflect the sunlight as he held it. It was then that she understood. She stared at her hand as if she were seeing it for the first time. "I just noticed something."

L's dark eyes met with hers. "Yes, water reflects light."

"No, not that!" She playfully splashed water on him. "Every time you kiss my hand, you kiss the one with the scar on it- the one I tore the IV out of. I think I get it now with you and the hand kissing. You're not doing it to be charming or romantic; you're doing it because you feel responsible for the scar."

He rubbed his thumb lightly over her scarred hand. "I'm a little surprised it took you almost nine months to figure that out."

She splashed him again with water. He took it without even flinching. "You shouldn't feel responsible for such a thing. I imagine the fluid from that IV played a big part in reviving me. My body was apparently made with lower levels of that element than needed." She chocked back a breath when she realized what she had just said. She studied him to see if she could pick up a reaction; but as usual, his face was unreadable.

"I assume you realize that up to 60% of the human body is in fact water. I suppose your _maker_ was ignorant to that fact."

L had just made it clear to Raine that her comment had been noted. Just when she thought things couldn't get any worse; she heard a voice from the other side of the pool that she had been hoping to avoid. "I resent that, water sprite!" It sounded weak for a shout, but it was Onasisk.

Raine's eyes darted to the far end of the pool. Nothing. Raine's sudden change in demeanor didn't go unnoticed by L. Without moving his head, his eyes trailed slowly over to the direction that Raine was looking at. He remained silent as his dark eyes returned to Raine.

Raine tried to shake things off and smile. She decided it would be easier if she held on to L. He welcomed her embrace, though his expression didn't change. Raine's mind was racing. _'He's been here the whole time; watching me and L in the pool!'_

"Raine, if you're tired of swimming; we could always save treading water and basic strokes for another day."

"N-no. It's fine." Raine wanted to pretend like Onasisk wasn't there. She had enjoyed her day with L so much; she wasn't in the mood for dealing with her cousin. She decided to ignore him. "Are you going to teach me how to swim underwater?"

"Yes, I suppo…" Raine cut him off with a kiss. He moaned and fell back, just barely managing to keep his head above water. Raine ran her hands up and down his bare back as she continued her sudden burst of passion. L was fighting his urges with everything he had. _'She's trying to lead my thoughts away from…'_ His thought was cut short when they both lost their footing and went under, still engaged in their passionate kiss. When they came back up, Raine was coughing up water. L had managed to swallow a little water himself. "Raine… one of the most important things to remember when you're underwater is you _must_ hold your breath."

"Sorry," she managed to speak in between coughs, "I'll remember that next time."

"Perhaps we should conclude our swimming lesson before it turns into something else."

"Would that really be such a bad thing, L?"

Onasisk spoke again. "He's trying to show you respect, Akaia. You need to learn how to control these ridiculous urges of yours!"

Though she resented it, she took her cousin's words into consideration. "I'm sorry; I'm coming on too strong. You're right, let's get out of the pool before this turns into a porno script."

"I wouldn't have a problem with it in different circumstances."

"Different circumstances? What do you mean?" She got out of the pool and headed over to the towels.

L didn't reply. He started to follow her out of the pool, until he looked down to see his drenched shorts perfectly tracing his arousal. He fell back into the water. "I believe I'll go for another swim before I get out." He darted underwater and began swimming to the other end of the pull.

Raine used the opportunity to get answers. "Onasisk, why do you have such a problem with L? Why won't you let me tell him anything?"

He appeared to her then. His transparency made him look like a ghost. Onasisk was sitting Indian style on one of the pool chairs. "I thought I could handle this. I thought it wouldn't bother me to see the two of you together; but… apparently, I was wrong."

"Y-you sound more like a jealous ex-lover than a cousin."

"_Distant_ cousin. It's not like those sorts of things really matter in the spirit world anyway."

"Wait a minute… wait a minute…" Raine made a face. "Are you trying to say you're _in love_ with me? My_ cousin_ is in love with me?"

He corrected her again. "_Distant_ cousin. And yes; believe it or not, you and I were once engaged to say vows before the other elements. Had it not been for my reckless bad habits (which led me into exile), you and I would be working to create our own realm as deities right now. But instead, you're with this… this…" He trailed off before he could finish.

L came up for a breath. Raine waited until he went underwater again before she continued. "Onasisk, I'm not sure what sort of arrangement we had, but I'm very much in love with L. I imagine our engagement was dissolved if you went into exile and I went into a state of suspended animation."

"Indeed it was. It wouldn't make any difference even if you _did_ carry feelings for me. I won't be around long enough for it to matter."

"Why? Have you been exiled again?"

"No, this time I'm afraid it's much worse. There are different levels of punishment for disturbing the balance of what is. They've taken away my ability to absorb lifespan. Very soon, I will fade away and cease to exist."

Though Raine wasn't sure where it came from, she felt a sting of despair that she had never known before. She could feel tears forming in her eyes as she almost whispered. "My god, Onasisk… I'm so sorry."

Raine wanted to talk with Onasisk more. She still had so many questions; but L had finished his swim and was on his way out of the pool. She forced her emotions back and smiled so he couldn't see her distress. Onasisk was no longer visible to her, but he whispered something in her ear. "I won't disturb the rest of your time with him. I'm very tired and need to lie in the earth for awhile. When I have enough energy to return, I shall introduce you to my long time friend, Gukku. There's something he can help you with. Goodbye, Akaia."

"Raine?"

Raine turned around to see L standing by her side. "Are you alright? You look as though you just lost a pet."

"I-I'm okay. I was just thinking about this really sad book I read this morning. It was about death… the _permanent_ kind."

"I didn't realize there was a kind of death that _wasn't_ permanent."

Raine narrowed her eyes at him slightly. "I know you're a genius; but there are still many things you need to learn about how things work."

"If you say so… hey, do you want to go get some cake?"

"Sure." Her voice was monotone.

"Are you sure everything is alright?"

"Yes, L. I'm fine."

"I believe my over enthusiastic personality is beginning to rub off on you." He smiled slightly.

"_Over_ enthusiastic?" Raine chuckled slightly at his sarcasm.

He rested his index finger on his bottom lip. "It appears I've cheered you up slightly. I'm pleased. Normally, I only make things worse."

They went inside and parted ways long enough to shower and change. Raine thought a little more about what Onasisk had told her while she bathed. _'I wonder what he did to deserve such a fate.' _She didn't feel as threatened by him anymore. In fact, she was mourning him. Something deep inside of her ached at the thought of his final death; yet she wasn't really sure why considering she had no memories of him prior to her dream in Sydney. She also thought about his burst of anger in Japan. _'He wants me to keep secrets from L. He's insanely jealous and he knows that my refusal to tell L everything is the only thing that's holding back our relationship. Onasisk isn't my enemy, but his jealousy could get the better of him and he could still harm L. What am I going to do?'_

* * *

"Wow! Watari has so many albums; I bet one could play a different song every day for an entire lifetime."

"Watari has always loved music. He prefers classical; but he's also very fond of jazz. I believe you'll also find a variety of 40's and 50's era pub music."

"I can't picture Watari in a pub."

"He spent his entire youth as a bachelor. It really isn't that difficult to envision."

She picked up a light jazz record. "Can we play one?"

"If you insist." L took the record and put it on the player without even bothering to see what it was he was about to play. A very soft and mellow jazz started streaming through the speakers. "Perhaps I can persuade you to play a game of chess?"

"Okay. You know I'm not very good at it though."

"That's only because you're impatient... and perhaps a little impulsive."

"Well, gee… thanks for the compliment."

He grinned slyly. "You're very welcome."

They engaged in a game of chess as the record played on. They loosely discussed philosophy and ethics; playing with their multi lingual skills as they did so. Raine had come up with the idea of creating a language that only she and L knew- one that they could use to communicate in emergencies. L thought it was a great idea, so they played around with bending and mixing different pronunciations and sounds; borrowing from all the languages they knew when needed.

The conversations made it hard for Raine to concentrate on the chess game. L had no problem wiping her off the board. As the record neared its end and the last song began to play, L stood up and extended his hand to her. Raine was a little surprised. 'If I didn't know any better, I would think you were asking me for a dance."

"It most certainly appears that way."

She took his hand and stood up. "You don't really strike me as the sort of person who likes to dance."

"I suppose it isn't uncommon for people to do things that are out of character when they're in love. Besides, if you and I are to ever be successful in our capoeira routines; then we should learn to move in time with each other. Wouldn't you agree?"

"Y-yes. You have a point." Raine was blushing. It was so rare that L ever used the word _'love'_. In fact, she had only heard him use the word twice; not counting the time he had simply repeated it to make a point. _"Love… and what is it that lovers do?" _Raine thought hard about what he had said to her in Japan. _"They share things with each other; 'share', being the keyword."_

They danced a little awkwardly in the beginning, stepping on each other's toes; but soon, they learned each other's rhythm and lost themselves to the ghostly voice of the woman singing a cheesy, but deep love song. L closed his eyes as they danced; taking in every second. "Would it not be pleasant if everyday could be like this?"

"It would be more than just pleasant. It would be wonderful."

He leaned into her ear, trying to keep his breaths steady. "Just you and me… in a world of our own; without a single concern."

"That would be better than a dream."

"We have the power to make that happen."

They continued to dance slowly in time to the rest of the song. L realized then just how deeply in love he really was with Raine. There was no way he would ever dance with anyone; yet there he was, stepping in perfect step. It wasn't something he would just do for sheer pleasure. It was far too cheesy of an activity. He'd have to be completely spellbound; and he felt that he was just that. When the record stopped, they shared a slow and sensual kiss before pulling away.

L put his hands in his pockets and bit on his bottom lip. Raine could tell his mind was racing. He was contemplating his next move. His thumb eventually found his mouth. He couldn't keep his hands away from his mouth for long when he was sitting or standing still. Raine started to wonder if his oral fixation was more of a nervous habit. Perhaps his sugar intake made him jittery. Raine pondered it more, wondering if his lack of sleep cancelled out the sugar rush, meeting each other half way for a strange sort of balance.

His next words sounded strange in his monotone voice. His expressionless face made it sound even stranger. "Would you consider it a problem if I switched to a slightly more inappropriate mode of thinking?"

"By _inappropriate_, you mean… perverted?"

"Yes."

Raine quickly looked down to shield her blushed face. The grin on her face was priceless. "I have no problem with that."

"I was hoping that would be your response." He walked over to the curtains and closed out the light of the night sky. They had spent an entire day doing nothing but goofing off. L had even taken her through the maze (and purposely lost her a few times to make things more fun). L couldn't remember a time he had felt so content with life. If he could just get past their one last obstacle, he was ready to embrace the idea of _love_ whole heartedly.

He strolled back over to Raine and stopped in front of her. He played with his bottom lip and shoved one of his hands deep into his pocket. L was about to attempt something completely new. It was time; time for her to make her decision. She could open up to him with her secrets and, in return; he would profess his love and share an intimate night with her. She could also refuse him the information he was so desperately seeking and continue to keep her secrets; in which he would end the relationship that had only half begun. The choice was hers. His anxiety was starting to make him tremble again, so he turned away from her before he spoke. "I want to touch you."

"That shouldn't be a problem. It's not like you haven't been touching me pretty much all day." As smart as she was, Raine could be totally clueless at times.

"No…" L turned back around to face her and placed his hands on her waist. "That isn't what I meant." He watched her face turn red and kissed her very lightly on the lips. "May I?"

Raine was losing herself in his enigmatic eyes. "I'm all yours."

**I really hope I get the next chapter up soon. I'm having a lot of conflicts about the different paths I can take with this story; not to mention I have a lot going on this week. It might be another 2 weeks before I can update again. =(**

**I'm not going to apologize if L is out of character in these two chapters. No one really knows what he would be like if he were deeply in love (or even if he would be capable of loving). We only see him in his 'I'm obsessed with catching Kira' persona; no one really knows what he's like as far as his personal life is concerned. He could spend his days surrounded by prostitutes in his canon world for all we know, but I'm not depicting him like that here. So, now that I have that out of the way, I hope to see you guys next chapter!**


	16. Choice part 2

**Content Warning: Here is the chapter that makes the rating of this story what it is... M. If you don't want to read perverted literature, then scroll down to the end and I will summerize the key points. this chapter is way too short considering how long it took me to write it.**

**I posted a link to another Raine commission image on my profile. I'm also expecting a lineart of L and Raine together today; which will be poseted on my profile as soon as I have it. I'm thinking about commissioning a picture of Onasisk.**

"I often dream of you in a sapphire blue gown; standing over me. You always appear so… sad." L and Raine sat on a very stiff -but expensive- designer couch in the darkness of the study. Their only source of light came from a few lit candles. Raine was sitting on her knees in between L's legs and facing him. Her lips were swollen from the heavy kisses they had shared. She rested comfortably, wrapped in L's embrace.

L had explored underneath her shirt eagerly, yet nervously. For him, it was the first time he had ever fondled a woman's breasts. He had absolutely no recollection of the first time. His hands had trembled as they glided across her skin; lacking confidence in his intimate abilities. It wasn't like anything else he had experienced; and he had just barely touched the surface. L wasn't accustomed to a lack of confidence. Everything he did normally exceeded expectations; but this was an all together different playing field. He had never had a talent for social relations; and intimacy was the sort of social relation he felt only a pro could handle.

As nervous as he was, his instinct and desire guided him along; not letting him back away. L's desire to feel her outweighed his anxiety. He was more than ready to make love to her. All he needed now was the assurance that she saw him as more than a rich and powerful plaything that could be used at her leisure. L loathed the idea of being used. The thought angered him. For her to give him the assurance he needed; she had to show him that she was willing to share her life with him, instead of putting it into a box of secrets.

L traced Raine's birthmark with his finger. He had discovered (again) that it was a sensitive spot for her. He knew what he wanted to do next; but not before he tried for the assurance he was searching for. "A dream for a dream?"

Raine thought for a moment. "I sometimes dream that you make me sleep in the hotel lobby because I ate all of your cake."

L smiled and nudged his nose with hers. "That's very amusing. How about a nightmare for a nightmare?

"Wouldn't nightmares ruin the mood?"

There was a brief silence before L answered. "I suppose they would. All dreams aside, there is something I'd really like to ask you."

Raine hesitated. She wasn't sure if they were being watched or not. "Alright, ask away."

"What I want to ask you…" L eased back onto the couch and pulled her along until they were both lying down. He sucked lightly on her ear lobe before continuing. "…is who you are… Akaia."

Raine jolted back up to a sitting position. "How… y-you must remember what happened in Japan now… right? There's no other way you could know that name!"

L frowned. "No, I still have no idea what happened in Japan. I know that name because that is what he calls you."

Raine chocked back on her breath. "_He_? You know Ona… how is that possible?"

L sat up with a very displeased look on his face. "You _do_ know about him then? Why would you hide something like this from me for so long? It's obvious I mean nothing to you."

"No, that's not true! I-I… I would tell you everything if I knew you wouldn't get hurt."

"And you think that _not_ telling me hasn't already caused me great pain?" L put his hands on her shoulders and moved in until he was inches away from her face. Raine could see the hurt hiding behind his dark eyes. For the first time, Raine heard a very small hint of shakiness in L's voice. "You will tell me right now, Raine… do you or do you not want to be with me?"

"L… I want more than anything to be with you; but I..."

"There are no '_buts'_. It's a _yes_ or _no _question.

"Yes."

"Then tell me why you choose to keep me in the dark. Tell me why I don't remember our moment together in Japan. I _need_ to know what's going on, Raine."

Raine motioned for him to lean closure so she could whisper without being heard. "L, please… I don't know if he's here or not. I don't want him to erase your memory again."

L closed his eyes for a moment and allowed his mind to calm itself. His arms went around her and pulled her closer. "You're trying to protect me. That's why you've been holding back all this time." He felt the doubts he was struggling with slowly starting to lift. "I've seen him in your field. He tries to make himself appear intimidating; but in truth, it takes every ounce of strength he has just to stand. Who is he?"

"He's… Onasisk. He's my cousin… my _distant_ cousin; and…" She hesitated before she added the next part. "…he's also apparently my ex-lover."

L loosened his hold on Raine as he stared at her. His made an expression that made him appear as though he had just eaten a vegetable. "I'm not sure if you're aware of this, but incest is considered a global taboo. I personally find it very distasteful that you would develop romantic feelings for a family member."

Raine sighed in frustration. "How much emphasis do I need to put on the word _**distant**_? Believe me, the idea doesn't really sit well with me either; but apparently, that's the case."

L decided not to take the incest conversation any further. As awkward as it sounded to him; it wasn't really important. "You have no way of knowing if he's here right now?"

"Well… he's very jealous. With everything we've done so far; and everything we've talked about… I'm fairly sure he would have made himself known by now. He was really weak when I saw him earlier and said he needed to lie in the earth for awhile so he could rest. He also said he wouldn't bother us tonight; though I'm not sure if he really meant it."

"He's the source of the voice you've been hearing?"

"Yes."

"And you heard him while we were in the pool today?"

"Yes."

L thought silently to himself as he chewed on his thumbnail. He looked her up and down before speaking. "If he's a jealous man, then he'll surely reveal himself when he sees what I'm about to attempt."

Raine bit her bottom lip. "And what would that be?"

"I recall saying earlier that I wanted to touch you. Do I still have your permission?"

"As long as you're not going to do it for the sole purpose of getting information; I welcome your touch."

"While information is very nice to have, I assure you that is not the reason I want to do this. In fact, if in this moment I still didn't know your reasons for withholding information from me, I would be walking away." Without waiting for a response, L pulled her into a passionate kiss. His hands slowly started exploring her body again; and soon, they were moving just under the edge of her pants.

Raine could still feel the occasional tremor in his hands. She knew he had never shared intimacy with another person before. He stopped her from exploring underneath his clothes; just as he had done in Japan. "L, why won't you let me touch you in return?" He was kissing every inch of her neck, which made her voice very shaky.

"The opportunity will present itself soon enough." He spoke in between each kiss. "I can't lose myself to you yet. I need to know first that I can perform adequately."

Raine wasn't really sure what he meant by that. _'He denies himself the right to feel pleasure just as he tries to deny himself the right to emotions. It's like he's fighting an inner battle between the cold indifferent side and the overly emotional side of himself.' _That was the only reason she could think of aside from the possibility that L was more than likely just nervous and a little afraid. Raine, herself, was nervous. She had no memories of sharing herself with anyone. _'If this body had just been made when L found me, then that means that I'm a virgin as well… at least in terms of this human body.'_

She had to stop herself from wondering if she had ever been intimate with Onasisk while she was in her elemental form. She didn't want to make herself sick in the heat of a passionate moment. As attractive as Onasisk was, she just couldn't bring herself to accept the fact that they were once engaged cousins. It made her sick to her stomach. _'I wonder how distant of a cousin he really is. I bet we were awkward at family dinners.'_ She pushed it to the back of her mind as she felt L unbutton her pants.

His smooth voice brought her back to the moment. "I need you to tell me if I'm hurting you." He hesitated before he spoke again. L knew he had already made it more than obvious that he was inexperienced, so he decided it wouldn't matter if he bluntly admitted it. "I'm very new to this sort of thing."

His last sentence made him tremble even more. His hand would creep slowly into her pants; and then it would hesitate and stop. Raine wanted to ease his mind anyway she could. "I want to tell you about my dream; the one about Adian. That's what you want to know about, isn't it? I'll record it if needed so you'll have it in case he erases your memory again."

A smile formed on L's face. He used his free hand to caress her face, while the other one finally continued to move down. "My dear, you can't even begin to imagine what that means to me." He kissed her as he gently applied pressure to her mound. She moaned softly into his mouth; encouraging him to continue. He paid very close attention to her reactions as his hand gently massaged her most intimate area. He could feel his confidence building as he listened to her moans and breaths of pleasure. He explored every fold of skin with gentle strokes and light taps.

L's thumb lightly traced her clitoral hood, causing it to retract. His index and middle finger came together against the sides of her clitoris, causing her breaths to become heavier and broken. His fingers then left her most sensitive area to avoid over stimulation and slightly pressed into her wetness. "Do you want me to penetrate you?"

Raine replied in a pleading whisper. "Yes. Yes."

L slowly pushed his index finger not even a full inch inside of her before hesitating. Though she was well lubricated, she was very tight. "Raine… if your hymen is still intact, there is a chance this could hurt."

"Please, just do it." She pushed herself on his finger and let out a small gasp. L gasped a little himself as her warmth surrounded his finger. He imagined how it would feel around a more sensitive part of himself. Her movements prompted him to further explore her inner walls. L considered inserting another finger, but he didn't want to hurt her. He experimented with different motions. All the while, his thumb continued stimulation on the outside.

He adjusted his speed according to her responses and wrapped his free arm around her, pulling her in as close as he possibly could. He rested his forehead against Raine's and locked his love struck eyes onto hers. He pleased her without any words for several minutes, never breaking eye contact unless sharing a sensual kiss. When L thought that she was nearing an orgasm, he smoothly made a suggestion. "After you've reached your climax, perhaps we can move to a more comfortable surface and work toward climaxing together." Raine managed a quick smile before losing herself completely to his touch.

L felt her muscles contracting around his fingers before relaxing. Her face was flushed and her breathing was heavy. His thumb fell away from her clit and his fingers slowly retreated. His hand left her pants and met with the cool air. Seeing that his fingers were bathed in her juices, he had an uncontrollable urge to have a taste. He sucked on his two fingers; the flavor causing his raw instinct to awaken. L suddenly had to fight the urge to ravish her. He put his hand down and licked his lips. "Your taste is one I would like to further indulge in."

She tasted a little of her own residue as she accepted his passionate kiss. She didn't understand what the big appeal was, but she welcomed the idea of him enjoying her taste. "I believe I'm ready to find that comfortable surface now." Without another thought, L stood up and extended his hand to Raine. The couch they had been on was unbearably stiff.

He was hoping to spend the rest of the night indulging in lustful pleasure, so he thought it would be best if they moved to a bed. "Your room?" His smile was that of a young man sickly in love. She smiled and nodded before initiating another kiss. After a few minutes of heavy making out and letting their hands roam; they turned on the light, blew out the candles and headed for Raine's room, hand in hand.

As they walked down the long hallway, a question popped into Raine's head. "L… do you _know_ Adian?"

"I'm familiar with him, yes."

"Is he the water elemental's son? It seems to make sense."

L suddenly stopped. He looked at Raine and raised his thumb to his mouth. "The… _water elemental's_ son?"

"Well, yeah. The man who was murdered; he was a water elemental. The little boy is his son. That's Adian, right? Is this a cold case you're working on? I can tell you who did it."

"No. It isn't a cold case."

"But Adian _is_ the little boy and not the father. He has to be. That's what I've assumed from the very beginning."

L squeezed her hand and resumed walking. "Yes, but I'm curious; is Adian still alive when you dream about him? Or is he the corpse that you mentioned?"

"He's barely hanging onto life in my dreams from what I can see. He's in a very dark place and it's hard to see. There's no visible scenery. He couldn't have survived. He lost far too much blood and his injury was too severe. The blade struck just below his heart; if not, directly through it. It went all the way through his body!"

L sighed heavily. "I see… and you said the father was murdered as well?"

"Yes."

"I don't think that part is accurate. It was the _father_ who attacked Adian and his mother."

"No, not him! I'm talking about the…"

Raine caught something out of the corner of her eye. She turned around to see nothing, but something had been there. It couldn't have been Onasisk. It was too big and shadowy. L looked at her with concern. "Is everything alright? Is _he_ here?

"N-no. Onasisk isn't here; but I hope that my eyes are just playing tricks on me. This was something else entirely." They made it to Raine's bedroom door.

L didn't want to think about supernatural disturbances at that moment. In fact, he was actually a little fed up with it. It had interfered with his love life long enough as far as he was concerned; and he wasn't going to let a little ghost story interfere with his plans to lose his virginity. He smiled warmly at her and ran his thumb across her hand as he held it. "Perhaps you're seeing things because we're discussing something so unpleasant." He led her into her bedroom and closed the door behind them. He brought her hand to his face and kissed it. "I believe we should wait and discuss our nightmares after we've made love- several times- and we're both in the comfort each other's arms."

Raine smiled sheepishly. His suggestion made her forget all about whatever had spooked her in the hallway. They kissed in front of the door for awhile until the mood rekindled. "L… is it okay for me to touch you now?" She knew by the sudden tremble in his lower jaw that she might not get the answer she wanted. As much as he wanted her, craving it and actually doing it were two completely different things. He was still in danger of losing his nerve, whether he liked it or not.

"I-I…" He wanted to kick himself for stuttering. The legendary L just _didn't_ do such things. "Please, forgive my anxiety. You must understand that I've never liked the idea of making myself venerable in any way. The idea of not having full control of myself frightens me; and your touch entices me to give up some of that control." She started to back away from him; but he pulled her back into an embrace. "As I told you in the pool, I crave your touch like I crave cake. Please, don't think otherwise. I assure you, my anxiety will subside."

L backed away enough to pull his shirt off. He took her hand, placed it on his bare chest and slowly guided it down to the edge of his jeans. "I'll prove to you I can overcome my shakiness. I'll allow you to help me undress."

Raine lightly kissed L on his lips and began positioning her hand around the button of his jeans. Her voice was low. "You _are_ always in control, aren't you? I often wonder though. Do you hold on to that control because absolute power is really what you want; or is it because you don't think you have a choice?" She unbuttoned his jeans and slowly pulled the zipper down. "Maybe you're afraid to give up control because you're afraid you'll enjoy it. Perhaps deep down underneath all of those emotional barricades, you _yearn_ for it."

The fact that Raine had just hit the nail on the head made L feel a little queasy. It was something that he didn't even like admitting to himself, even though it was true. He felt her hand slowly trailing down. "No. You're wrong. I have no desire to give up c-…" He suddenly gasped. His pants were around his ankles and her hand was feeling his arousal under his boxers. _'I… I stand…d-defeated._' He managed to catch a few shaky breaths and spoke in Italian. "Raine, I won't deny you anymore. My body is yours for the taking." _(__Io non ti rinnegherò più. Il mio corpo è tuo per la presa)._

Raine was a little surprised that such a simple touch could produce such results. His lust had apparently built up to the degree of an overload. No one had ever caressed his most sensitive organ before; and the feeling as well as the realization of what was happening had indeed caused L's emotions to pour over his invisible walls. The instinct that he had briefly tuned into after tasting her re-emerged. He tugged eagerly at her shirt and helped her slip it off. Her pants were next. All they had left of their modesty were in the form of underclothes. Switching to French, L picked her up and spoke in a low whisper. "I'll soon be inside of you; and we'll unite as one- heart, body and soul." (Je vais bientôt être à l'intérieur de vous, et nous unir comme un cœur, corps et âme).

Raine smiled at his eagerness to carry her over to the bed. She also found the random languages he was using somewhat amusing. He obviously wasn't comfortable with whispering sweet-nothings in English. Raine couldn't even begin to imagine his reasoning behind it; she only knew it sounded incredibly seductive coming from his smooth deep voice. He laid her down lovingly on the bed and rested beside her, reaching behind her back to find the clasp to her bra.

Once her bra was off, he kissed on her breasts before venturing down to her panties. He slid them off of her slowly, taking in the visual of her bare flesh. She looked even more beautiful to him than she did when he had found her in the rain. She wasn't an unconscious stranger anymore; she was _his_ lover. He ran both of his hands slowly down the length of her body and admired it in total awe. The only article left on her was her chain bracelet. L saw no reason for her to remove it. He liked the chain.

He focused on her eyes looking up at him as he removed his boxers. It helped him quickly get over the awkwardness of feeling exposed. What little urge L had left to dive under the covers and hide himself left him with the kiss they shared. He tried to fight off his trembling as it began to sink in that he was actually lying in bed fully unclothed with a woman. The redness refused to leave his face. He broke their kiss and looked nervously into her eyes; biting the inside of his bottom lip. "This is… different… and very… interesting."

Raine ran her fingers through his wild hair to help him relax. L closed his eyes and concentrated on her touch. They indulged in each other's sensual kisses and gentle caresses. L would tremble every so often when Raine's hands or mouth ventured somewhere new; but eventually, his tremors disappeared completely. He shivered with pleasure when Raine's bracelet slid across his bare skin. Every sensation was so new and wonderful; he felt he would burst at any moment. It didn't take long for him to grow completely comfortable with what he was doing.

Raine was being very careful not to _over_ stimulate L with her touches. Her hands never explored his erection for any longer than a quick tease. His entire body was so sensitive to her touches; she feared he could ejaculate prematurely, which would more than likely kill his confidence. Raine, however, was seriously underestimating his endurance. He rubbed his arousal over her opening; indicating that he was ready to enter. She stared into his dark eyes and pushed her pelvis up slightly to give him the go ahead.

With a light kiss to her lips and a soft nudge to her nose, L let himself sink inside of her. His bottom lip quivered as he felt her warmth firmly enveloping him. "I'm not hurting you, am I?"

Raine was trying very hard not to grimace. "I-It's a little… painful, but it'll go away. Don't stop, please."

L caressed her face and kissed her. "I'm so sorry." He kissed behind her ear in an attempt to take her mind off of the pain. Raine held onto him as tight as she could as he eased himself all the way in. The closeness she felt to him in that moment as his eyes returned to hers made her almost completely forget about the pain. Unless they were sharing a passionate kiss; their eyes seldom broke contact as they made love for the first time. L and Raine were completely lost in each other.

Their bodies moved slow and in time with each other. Raine never wanted him to let go of her. What had started out as a small crush in New Orleans had blossomed into a love she knew no words could ever describe. Her broken breaths soon turned into uncontrollable moans of pleasure. Her moans fueled L's passion, and their pace soon quickened into a passionate frenzy. He reached climax only seconds after she did.

L rested his head on Raine's chest as he tried to steady his breathing. He smiled and laughed quietly to himself as he listened to the rhythms of her heartbeat. For the first time in his life, his mind was completely calm. He lifted himself up and shared a sensual kiss with her. "Akaia Raine…" He smiled at her in adoration. "I had no idea what true happiness was until I came to know you." He finished his thought in Japanese. "I'll never love anything in this world as much as I love you."

Raine let out a small laugh and kissed him. "It's so cute when you switch back and forth with the languages."

"I have to switch back and forth. Most of the stuff I've said to you tonight would sound far too cheesy in English."

"We can't let the world's greatest detective sound cheesy! Heavens forbid!"

"Correct." They both laughed modestly and continued to cuddle as the night slowly crept by them. Raine told him everything she knew about elementals (which wasn't much) and about what Onasisk said had happened to her.

"I was put into a state of suspended animation for 20 years as punishment for something."

"What did you do wrong?"

"I have no idea; but Onasisk freed me and brought me to you. He said that you were calling out to the wind that night. You were obviously in distress over something."

L stroked her hair as he recalled the night he had found her. "B…"

"B?"

"I was indeed in distress that night. There is a man in prison right now who is severely scarred and physically impaired for the rest of his life because of me."

Raine was curious to hear his story, but something jolted to the front of her thoughts. _'He called out to the wind… to carry him away. Who calls out specifically to the wind unless…' _Something clicked in her mind, but the obvious conclusion she reached confused her. _'No. It isn't possible. He can't be.'_

"Raine?"

"Yeah?"

"Would you allow me to stay here with you tonight?"

She stroked his hair and smiled. "Of course. Nothing would make me happier."

L's hands wandered down the length of her body. "Would you object to a late night?" He started kissing every inch of her neck.

"Not… at… all…"

* * *

It was almost dawn when L awoke. Raine was still sleeping soundly in his arms. Only a couple of hours had passed since they had finished making love. L would have woke up in pure bliss seeing the two of them lying nude in each other's arms; only he couldn't recall anything that had happened. His entire body stiffened as he tried desperately to remember the events that lead up to his present situation. He could feel his body start to tremble in panic. _'No… this can't be. How did I get in here like this? I was walking out of my room only moments ago to see what Raine broke in the hallway!' _

L slowly moved away from Raine; making sure not to wake her. He got up and quickly gathered his clothes to get dressed. He stood over her and watched her sleep as he tried to get his thoughts together. L had never felt so distraught. His mind was his greatest asset, and someone or something was attacking it. _'I obviously experienced a sexual encounter for the first time, yet I've been robbed of the memory. I'll… never get that back. Raine… why?'_

L stared at the floor, clenching his fists tightly at his sides. He had to grit his teeth to hold back his emotions. A shaky whisper escaped his lips. "Why?" He clenched his teeth together as hard as he could. Never had he felt so confused and conflicted. His initial panic was turning into anger. Another whisper… "Why?"

Turning away from his sleeping lover, he made the choice that he had hoped he wouldn't have to make. _'This is too much. It's just… too much.' _L's heart was crying inside. The secrets, he might have worked around somehow with a little patience; but the memory loss… _'I can't do this anymore.' _His whisper broke the silence of the room one more time. "Goodbye, Raine."

**Poor L! So for those of you who decided to skip this chapter; basically Raine tells L almost everything she knows and they have sex for the first time. L reveals that he has seen Onasisk and Raine figures out something about L that I've sort of made obvious from the very begining, but doesn't dwell on it due to L distracting her with his advances. Everything looks like it's going to be a happy ending until L wakes up and realizes that his memories are gone and the last thing he remembers is the broken vase scene a couple chapters back. He's now made the descision to end it. I can be a cruel writer at times. As far as I know, this will be the only chapter that focuses so much on a love scene**. **The next 4 or 5 chapters that follow this one are going to be far from lovey dovey touching.**


	17. Memories

**Much to my dismay, I do NOT own Death Note!**

**Author's Note: Thank you guys so much for all of the reviews! ^_^ That's it for now, really. lol.**

L stood motionless in a cold shower; feeling completely numb. Not even the ice cold water pounding against his skin felt real. L didn't know what was real anymore. He irrationally hoped that the water would wash away all of his feelings. He tried to picture his anguish going down the shower drain. It wasn't working. He finished his shower and rested on the floor of his room, staring at a blank wall. He sat there for over an hour; staring at the wall, but not really seeing it.

He tried to bring together all of the pieces in his mind so he could develop some sort of understanding of what was going on. Everything he came up with sounded completely absurd to him. For the first time that he could remember; L was dealing with something he didn't understand. The thought that constantly played in his head was 'Why?' The word clouded him from thinking clearly.

He finally got up and paced around his room like a caged lion. He was angry at himself. In fact, at that moment he detested himself. He hated himself for allowing himself to fall in love. He had once vowed to never feel. If he would have only stuck with that vow; he could have easily just thrown her out the door so he could get on with his life-without giving it a second thought. He was sure of it. Instead, he was battling with himself over what to see as fact and fiction.

A huge part of him wanted to believe that Raine truly loved him and would never maliciously mess with his mind. He didn't want to believe that she would be capable of doing such a thing. L loved her so much that it literally hurt. He didn't want to give up on her; but the red flags were bright and blinding. Assuming that Raine would probably sleep for awhile; he left his room and walked outside to the fountain; disregarding the fact that it was pouring down rain.

He lay on the bench and stared up at the sky. He didn't even care that the heavy drops of rain were falling straight into his eyes. He blinked frequently to shake them off; but he had no desire to move or even turn his head away. He wasn't completely opposed to the idea of letting the rain drown him. He remained on the bench until he was completely drenched. It was Watari who finally made him turn his head away from the down pour. Watari had two umbrellas with him. He held one over himself and opened the other one for L. "L, why are you out here in this storm? You're going to get sick again."

L sat up and took the umbrella from Watari. "I'm already sick; so it really doesn't matter."

Watari frowned. "What's wrong, L?"

"Watari… I need to leave for a few days. I'm going to arrange a brain scan as well as a full physical evaluation. I need you to look after Raine while I'm gone."

Watari grew concerned. "Let's go inside and dry off. Then we'll discuss what's bothering you."

"Thank you, Watari. I'd like that." Watari's presence made L feel better. He didn't feel so alone now.

Once inside, Watari handed L a towel and a blanket and requested a pitcher of hot water for tea from his house attendant. They talked in Watari's personal study; a place where L was confident Raine wouldn't wander into if she awoke. "So what is it that's bothering you? This is the first time you've ever taken an interest in your health."

"I've been experiencing lapses in memory. I'd like to have myself evaluated in order to rule out the possibility of a natural cause. It would be of great help to me if you could watch Raine while I'm gone- and by that, I mean watch her every move. Please don't tell her why I've left. I should only be gone a week at the most."

"And why do you feel it necessary to stay somewhere else while having this done? Are you and Raine experiencing problems?

"Not yet. I suppose this is my one last attempt to keep it that way. I need some time away from her to think."

"I see. Well, you know you have my full support. Is there anything else you'd like to discuss?"

"I need you to get in touch with Roger and make arrangements to…" He stopped his sentence abruptly. "Actually… forget that thought for now. We'll make the arrangements when it's time." L stared into his cup of tea. "Watari, may I ask you a question?"

"Go right ahead."

"If Juliet manipulated Romeo's mind, would Romeo be a fool if he continued to court her?"

"I was always under the impression you hated _Romeo and Juliet_."

"I do. I simply know of no other analogy to use at this moment."

"You think that Raine is manipulating you?

"I don't know." L hated using those three words back to back.

"Might I make a quick observation?"

"By all means, go ahead."

"Well, it seems to me the only reason you're having problems moving forward with Miss Raine is because you refuse to stop chasing dreams."

L didn't answer. He instead put his tea down and waited to see if there was anything Watari wanted to add. Sure enough, there was. "It seems there are things about Miss Raine that even _you _can't explain; and in your frustration, you're leaning to act on your emotional impulses rather than reasoning."

"Impulses…"

"If you fail to find the answers to the dreams you're chasing, you'll end up doing something you regret in retaliation. To be honest, you're starting to act more and more like young Mello."

"Mello is 20 times more impulsive than I am."

"L, do what it is that you're best at. Use your superior reasoning to realize that, while dreams are a nice escape every once and awhile, reality is what really matters. Don't throw a good thing away just because she doesn't want to talk about her nightmares."

"And what if those nightmares are the key to who she really is? What about the memory loss, Watari? Every time I touch her, I lose all memory of it. Are you going to suggest that it's the result of a psychological illness that just appeared overnight?"

"It very well could be. You've always had problems making contact with other people. Perhaps your encounters with Raine are more than you're ready for. The mind will often block out the things it can't handle."

"Then I suppose I'll have to arrange a psychological evaluation as well."

"I don't think that's such a good idea."

"And why is that?"

"There's no guarantee they'll let you leave."

L massaged his temples. "There's truth to that, unfortunately."

"I feel inclined to ask you. Are you really so eager to find out who Raine is; or are you more interested in finding out who _you_ might be? I remember you mentioning at one time that she apparently has the dream about the young boy, as you do."

"Yes. She's apparently connected to me in more ways than one; though I have no idea how." L sipped his now cold tea and ran all of the unanswered questions through his head again. The more he thought about it, the angrier it made him. He narrowed his eyes. _'I __**will**__ find out what is going on. Regardless of how I feel about Raine, I do not enjoy being toyed with.' _His fingers started to dig into his leg._ 'It will end now.' _

* * *

In a remote wooded area a few miles from the Wammy estate, a mound of earth slowly rose from the ground. The heavy rain made it look like a mud monster as it gradually took the shape of a person. It remained for several minutes before sinking back down into the earth as a pile of mud. As the mud washed away, it revealed a transparent version of Onasisk. He watched the rain wash the mud away and sank to the ground in frustration. "Damn it all! I'm not strong enough to hold a solid form anymore!" He punched his fist into the mud in anger.

"Well, you're waking up in a crabby mood." A cold, deep and scruffy voice came from the shadows.

Onasisk scowled. "I have every right to be crabby!"

"I'm tired of hanging around and waiting on you to fix things with your stupid air princess! You told me we were going to the imp races! Come on, I've got 8 life stones that say Flames out runs Stumpy and Nails."

"Flames, Nails and Stumpy will have to wait! We're not going anywhere until you help restore Akaia's memory! I won in red-eye roulettes, so you owe me a favor!"

"But, this is boring! You're no fun anymore! You've changed!"

"That's because I'm dying, you idiot!"

A dark figure moved into the visible light. Standing several feet taller than Onasisk was a horrid looking creature with a cattle skull for a head- or maybe a mask. It was covered with thick tufts of fur and wore a gaudy set of circular beads around its neck. It was Gukku, the shinigami.

"Why should I even bother doing this? She'll regain the memories that are lying dormant in that weak human mind the moment she leaves her body. That's the way it should be. Why don't I just do this the old fashion Shinigami way so I can have my lifespan back?" Gukku pulled out his notebook.

"Gukku, that's enough. You will honor the bet you lost. And that lifespan is no longer yours. I won it fare and square. It's not my problem that you've always been a horrible gambler."

"Ya know- you're lucky you can claim friendship with me. Otherwise, I'd ignore everything you just said."

Onasisk rolled his eyes. "Even if you did ignore me, you wouldn't write her name in that book."

Gukku cackled. "Don't be so sure, Onasisk. Shinigami are only decent friends if gambling is involved. I see no game table here!"

"We'll finish this now then. I won't let my lingering emotions delay the process this time. This is to be my parting gift to her."

"That suits me just fine. I've already had my fun with those two. I'm bored with it now."

Onasisk closed his eyes and tensed up. "Gukku… would you care to elaborate on what you mean when you say you _had your fun with those two_?"

Gukku cackled again; this time madly. "You're not gonna like it. Or maybe you will. Hell, you should probably thank me for it!" He continued to cackle like a madman as Onasisk looked on in obvious worry.

"What the hell did you do, Gukku?"

"You told me to erase the water sprite's memory the first time they did a bunch of gross stuff. I thought you'd appreciate it if I stuck to the plan in your absence."

Onasisk sighed loudly and rested his forehead in his hand. "Gukku, as angry and jealous as it made me to see the two of them like that; it wasn't the reason I told you to erase his memory. I told you to do it because he witnessed Akaia using her powers!"

"Opps. Well, it was a lot of fun anyways. I had to entertain myself somehow while you were sleeping in the dirt. It was so fun watching his reaction when he woke up! Humans are so entertaining!" Gukku began to cackle again.

"Akaia will think I did it! You moronic cattle head!"

Gukku paused in between cackles and tried to sound dry and serious. "Moo." He then laughed so hard, he fell to the ground.

Onasisk looked everything _but_ amused. "Idiot."

"Don't tell me your humor is already dead! You would have found this hysterical centuries ago!"

"Shut up, Gukku. Now, I'm going to have to fix what you did." There was an obvious hint of irritation in his voice.

"Why? I thought you hated the water sprite."

"My only problem with him is the fact that he's not me; but it no longer matters. He's in love with Akaia and will take care of her. I have to make sure she is in good hands before I perish. How much of his memory did you erase?"

"Not quite a day's worth."

Onasisk sat Indian style on the ground; sinking into the mud. He was beginning to wish he wouldn't have brought Gukku into the picture. Though he and Gukku went way back as chronic gamblers, shinigamis were not known for their empathy. Onasisk had to manipulate Gukku into doing his bidding by doing the one thing he was best at- gambling.

A shinigami normally didn't have the power to mess with memories unless those memories happened to be connected to their only source of existing- a death note. Gukku had somehow learned to take that power to greater levels. Shinigamis also had the power to see a human's true name. Onasisk had needed that power to confirm something.

Onasisk thought that he owed it to Akaia to give her back the memories that had led to her ending up unconscious in a dark alley. He had originally decided against the idea, but later changed his mind. Had he have known that it would cause so much drama; he would have left it alone. "Gukku, tell me exactly what you did. I need the entire story if I'm to fix this."

"I don't like telling stores. It's boring."

"The sooner we get it out of the way; the sooner I can fix things and your debt will be paid for the bet you lost." Gukku didn't seem interested. Onasisk sighed. "And the sooner you can go place your bet on Flames the imp."

"You got it."

* * *

The storm had cleared up by the time Raine came out of her room. She was completely oblivious to L's situation. Raine assumed L was busy solving cases, so she headed to the library. Her mind raced as she made her way down the long hallways. _'Could L really be an elemental? He says he's familiar with Adian, so it would make sense. Is he a relative? His age… his age could place him as Adian himself; but… no, there's no way that child could have survived. The way L said he was discovered- it doesn't match up with Adian's injuries. The crazy thing is…I don't think L is actually aware of what he probably is.' _As Raine walked into the library, she suddenly remembered something and made a connection. _'I think I get it now, but…'_

Her thoughts were interrupted when she saw Watari sitting in the library, reading a copy of Dr. Zhivago. "Hi, Watari."

Watari nodded his head in greeting. "Miss Raine."

Raine took a seat at the reading table where he was sitting. "Dr. Zhivago, huh? I haven't read the actual story; but I did read a separate book that was composed of his love poems. They were very beautiful pieces of literature!"

"Indeed! You must read the novel! It never fails to bring tears to this old man's eyes! It's captivating!"

Raine smiled at him. "May I read it after you're finished?"

"Of course!"

Raine suddenly remembered something and frowned. "Umm, Watari? I … owe you an apology."

Watari looked up from his book, puzzled. "What on earth for?"

"Well… I was playing with my yo-yo inside yesterday and I kind of… broke your vase."

Watari still looked puzzled. "You did? That's odd. L told me this morning that _he_ was the one who broke it."

"L's a liar. He just told you that so I didn't have to take the blame for it. I broke the vase, and I'm sincerely sorry."

"There's no need to apologize. It was just an old vase. Material possessions are very easy to replace."

Raine felt a wave of relief sweep over her. "Oh thank you, Watari! I'm so glad I didn't destroy something important!"

"Think nothing of it, my dear." He returned to his reading.

Raine got up from the reading table and strolled over to the bookshelves. As she browsed for over the books, Watari put his book on the table and adjusted his glasses. "L tells me you play quite a captivating song on your flute, Miss Raine. I'm afraid I've yet to have the pleasure of hearing it."

"Really? You haven't heard it yet? I don't mind playing it for you. In fact, I can go get my flute right now if you'd like."

"That would be wonderful!" Watari was very eager to hear her song. He wanted to see what all of the fuss was about.

"I'll be right back!" Raine ran to her room to get her flute. She knew it would put Watari into a trance, but she felt like there was something in that field that he wanted to see. There was something there that he needed, though she wasn't sure what it was or how she even knew such a thing.

When Raine returned, she asked Watari if she could open a window. She knew that her song was capable of creating a breeze, and she wanted to use the open window as an excuse in case that breeze just happened to blow into the room. Watari waited eagerly as she removed the flute from her new case. Raine lifted the flute to her lips and smiled. "You're about to experience the endless journey of the wind. I hope you like it." With that, she started playing. She was thankful that the wind stayed outside.

She closed her eyes as she played, feeling every note with her heart. She had a good feeling about something; she just wasn't sure what it was. When Raine had finished, she looked over at Watari to see him coming out of his daze. There were tears in his eyes. He removed his glasses to wipe them away. Raine walked back over to the table and sat beside him in concern. "Oh Watari, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to make you sad!"

"No. No, child. You didn't make me sad. I… saw her. I saw my Lillian!"

"Your… Lillian?" Raine was puzzled. _'I thought L said Watari had spent his entire life as a bachelor._'

"Lillian was my fiancée in my younger days. I courted her when I was a teenager and we agreed to be married after we graduated. However, I was drafted into the war and we were pulled away from each other. We had no choice but to put our marriage on hold until the war was over. I managed to make it back to see her once, and she had fallen ill. She had led me to believe that it was only a small virus that would pass, but…" He stopped and buried his head in his hands. "It was cancer. She never told me because she didn't want it to lower my moral as a soldier. By the time the war was over and I returned home for good… she was gone. I never got to say goodbye or tell her how much I loved her."

Tears welled up in Raine's eyes. "That's heartbreaking, Watari. I'm so sorry!"

"Don't be sorry, Miss Raine. I saw her in that field! I held her in my arms again! There were so many things that had been left unsaid… and I finally had the chance to say them. I can't thank you enough for that song, child!"

Raine placed a hand on Watari's shoulder and smiled. "L never told me about her."

"That's because I've never told L. I've never been able to talk about Lillian with anyone, until now. I finished up my enlistment in the military and then devoted a large portion of my life to orphans. I named the very first orphanage I opened -_Lillian Fields_- in her honor. My orphans are the children that Lillian and I never had the chance to have and raise together."

"I know she would be proud of you. You're a good man."

Watari smiled and put his glasses back on. "Thank you, my dear."

"I'm glad my song is that captivating." Raine grinned. "Well, I guess I'll go see if L needs me to bring him anything. I haven't had a chance to talk to him today."

Watari's frowned slightly. "L isn't here. He's out on important business for the next week. He informed me to watch after you in his absence."

"He's… gone? But he didn't even bother to say goodbye." Raine sulked.

"He'll return before you know it."

Raine stared down at the table in silence for a moment. "Yes… of course. Thanks, Watari. I'll let you get back to your reading now."

As Raine walked back to her room with the books she had picked out, she couldn't help but worry. 'Something doesn't seem right."

* * *

"I realize this is short notice, Roger; but I have confidence that she will serve as a valuable asset to your facilities. She's fluent in at least 11 languages. Watari informed me that you're short staffed and she more than qualifies for the position of a linguistics professor." L sat perched in a chair inside of Roger's office. Roger was the head overseer of Wammy House. He was the only person aside from Watari who knew L's true identity.

"Lawliet, please don't get me wrong. She sounds wonderful. However, the salary you're requesting me to pay her is a little unreasonable. None of our teachers here make even a quarter of that amount. Our establishment simply can't afford her."

"You won't have to afford her. I've already set up an account from which her paychecks will be drawn from. If you think her salary sounds unfair to the other teachers here, then I shall make arrangements to give them each a pay raise."

"_I _could certainly use a pay raise." Roger mumbled it to himself, but L picked it up.

"Done."

"Oh no, Lawliet! I wasn't being serious! I was just… really?"

"Roger, I _need_ you to hire her. Raine is a very valuable asset to L and I must know that she is safe and in good hands."

"Well…" Roger coughed. "You've made a reasonable pitch and we_ are_ currently short staffed. I believe Raine will make a great addition to the Wammy House family. How soon can she start?"

"Please expect her within the next two weeks. She will be arriving with Watari."

"Of course! I look forward to meeting her!"

"Thank you, Roger. It's much appreciated."

"It's a little off subject, but I couldn't help but wonder if you've thought anymore about choosing your successor."

L placed his index fingers on his temples. "This really isn't something I want to deal with right now."

"You've been saying that for the past two years. Mello is so obsessed with knowing where he stands that he's becoming intolerable."

"Roger, neither one of them has what it takes to stand as my successor at this moment. The only way I truly see either of them succeeding as L is if they work together and learn from each other. What one lacks, the other strongly makes up for."

"You know that will never happen. Mello refuses to work with Near."

"Yes, Mello is quite reckless and… impulsive. He takes extreme measures to produce results when necessary and he isn't afraid to cheat if it means winning the game. His inability to control his emotions is his only weakness. Though passion is wonderful to have, it's very possible to have too much."

"Then, Near is the obvious choice."

"No. Whereas Mello has too _much_ passion, I'm afraid Near has far too little."

"He seems pretty passionate about his toys."

"Near is a master at finding the pieces of a puzzle and putting them together; however, once the puzzle appears complete, Near will think he's finished, and ignore the fact that there's an abstract piece hiding somewhere."

"Is there a way you can personally train them?"

"I'm not a teacher. Besides, it would be an injustice to both of them."

"How could it possibly be an injustice?"

"Let them build their own bridge. If they're conditioned to walk in my shadow without a chance to leave their own, they will end up following the same path as B."

"I understand."

L rose from his chair and shuffled to the door. "I'd like to thank you again for your services, Roger. Goodbye."

"Of course! Take care of yourself!"

L walked out of the office, shutting the door behind him. As he moved to the exit of the administration building, he heard a voice single him out. "I know who you are."

L nonchalantly turned to see who the voice belonged to. He was now looking at a teenage boy with long blond hair, eating a chocolate bar. "Is that right?" L removed a hand from his pocket and placed his index finger on his bottom lip. Eyes wide open, he moved closer to the youth until he was right up in his face. "And who exactly do you think I am?"

The boy looked unperturbed by L's creepy antics. He took another bite of his chocolate bar. "Isn't it obvious? Whenever you're here, they never ring the bells between classes. They wouldn't go to such trouble for just anyone. You're too shady of a character to _not_ be him."

A creepy smile formed on L's face. "Sharp boy."

"I guess I can assume you know who I am?"

"Mello."

"Tell me something, please; because this has really been bugging me. On the days that Near and I are separated into empty classrooms and given dummy cases to solve, or seemingly impossible puzzles to solve… you're watching us aren't you? We're like your stupid little science project!"

L backed away to give Mello a little room to breathe. He appeared to stare off into space as he continued to play with his bottom lip. "It looks like you've caught me."

Mello scowled at him. "I'm tired of being observed! Who is it going to be? It's either me, or that white haired, pajama wearing twerp!"

L frowned. "Now, that's not nice. Near is your ally. There's really no need for cheap shot names."

"You haven't decided yet, have you?"

"No."

Mello almost snapped his chocolate bar in two. "Why the hell not? L isn't supposed to be indecisive!"

L studied the teenage boy standing before him; a little irked that anyone would have the audacity to speak to him in such a tone. "Well, Mello… would you care to walk for a while with the indecisive, bug-eyed hunchback that appears before you? I just happen to be having a very _off_ day today, which means I'm in a good enough mood to relay a few of my experiences to you. Of course, they would be for your ears only."

Mello perked up. "Just me… no Near?"

"Just you- the one and only Mello."

"I still have 2 hours before my next class starts. I can skip study hall. Let's go! Oh, it's more than an honor to meet you, by the way. Sorry about my initial attitude. I tend to get a little too emotional sometimes."

"Really? I hadn't noticed. I hope you have more chocolate with you. These stories are great in length."

"I'm never short on chocolate. He opened his school bag to reveal an entire case of chocolate bars. L's eyes widened. He was impressed with Mello's quirk. _'I think I could actually get along with this kid.' _

Mello pulled out one of the chocolate bars and threw it to L. "I'm only sharing my chocolate with you because you're _him_. No one else has such a privilege, just so you know."

"You're too kind, really. Perhaps one day, I'll share a piece of cake with you to return the gesture."

Mello's eyes widened at the thought of his mentor sitting down with him for cake- _chocolate_ cake. An insane smile appeared on his face as they started walking. _'There's no way he'd ever offer Near a piece of cake! I'm victorious over that thick headed half pint!'_

L told Mello the same story he had told Raine about his time in the orphanages. He also told him about the Winchester Mad Bombings and the detective wars between himself and two other great detectives. He left parts out on purpose to see if Mello could pick up on them. Mello did quite well with filling in the blanks. When he got to his last story, he stopped walking. "It's quite hot out here today. Perhaps I should share this last story in the shade of that tree over there." He nodded his head in the direction of a large oak tree.

"Sounds great. All of my chocolate is starting to melt in this hot sun." Both of their fingers were covered in melted chocolate.

As they rested under the tree, L told Mello the story that he singled out as the most important. He told Mello the story of the Los Angeles BB Murders. L left out the parts about the video cameras in the room. He couldn't bring himself to tell young Mello that he had just sat by a monitor and watched their '_brother_' burn. There was a long silence after L had finished his story. L almost jumped when Mello put a hand on his shoulder. "I'm pretty sure I get it now, L. I gained something valuable in every story you relayed to me. The lessons will not go to waste."

"I was hoping you would say that."

They noticed a lot of commotion suddenly filling the campus grounds. Mello suddenly shot up. "Damn it! The bells never rang for class!" He almost started to bolt toward his building, but stopped. "Screw it! I don't need to go to class. I'm talking with the legend himself!"

"Mello…" L rested his head against the tree trunk. "I'll be taking my leave shortly. If the policies here are anywhere near as strict as they were when _I_ stayed here, your absence won't be worth it."

Disappointment covered Mello's face. "Oh, well… we'll cross paths again, right? I'm your successor, after all… hopefully your _only_ successor after it's all said and done."

"I assure you we'll cross paths again. Goodbye, Mello."

Mello nodded and bolted off.

L sat under the tree for a few minutes longer; lost in his own thoughts. He thought about his two successors and his situation with Raine. He flashed back to several memories of the time he had spent as a student and resident of Wammy House. And then, he thought about B. As bad as things seemed with L's personal life, he knew it could never compare to the tragedy of Beyond Birthday. B never stood a chance.

He feared for Near and Mello. He didn't want them to devote so much of themselves to being like L, that they had no identity of their own. B had slowly been driven to insanity. Roger had told him about the time B boasted to the other kids about being able to see the day they were going to die. B had always talked about having _"the eyes"._ L had mentioned B's insanity to Mello, as an indirect warning. He only hoped it would prove effective.

L eventually got up and headed for the building where his old room was. Once he was standing in front of the door, he picked open the lock and stepped inside. It had been turned into a storage room. L moved a few things around until a certain spot of the floor was visible. He knelt down and felt around for a loose board. He found it and pulled it up to reveal a small hiding place.

He removed an old box and opened it to see if the contents were still intact. The box was full of award ribbons and a few poems a fellow student had once written to him about being an outsider. He folded the poems neatly and put them in his pocket before pulling out the last item. It was his stuffed panda bear; the one he had been found with. It still wore the necklace with the silver _L_ charm on it. The silver was badly tarnished, so the inscription on the back of the charm was no longer readable.

L held the bear and ran his fingers over its ears. _'Hello, old friend. Forgive me for leaving you trapped here all of these years.'_ He found a box that was less worn and placed the bear inside. With the box under his arm, he exited his old room with no further reason to ever return. He made his way to the front of the building and stopped in one of the recreation rooms. Sitting in one of the far corners was a child around the age of 11. His snow white hair alone made him stand out. He sat at a Go board, playing a game against himself. It had been a long time since L had played Go. He suddenly felt inclined to approach his other successor.

Near didn't bother to look up when L approached and took a seat at the other end of the Go board. He spoke in a cold tone. "I'm assuming you want to play a game; though you're a foolish man if you're thinking of playing a serious game with me as your opponent."

"I suppose I _am_ interested in a quick game of Go. If you don't mind my playing, I'd be more than happy to let you play black so you can start with up to a 6 stone handicap." L smirked. He knew that Near would feel insulted by the suggestion. Sure enough, Near silently raised his head and glared at L. Near had never actually met L before, so he had no idea whose challenge he was about to accept. Near cleared the board and handed L the bowl of black stones. "Please don't be fooled by my age. I think it would be wise if you were the one who used a handicap."

"Agreed then… no handicaps."

Near had a glare that could send chills down a demon's spine. He didn't hesitate to show it to L. L remained indifferent and placed his first stone. _'Oooo… I'm so scared.' _Once Near started placing stones on the board, his expression mellowed into one similar to L's. They both remained emotionless as they battled wits on the Go board. It was a long game; but in the end, L claimed the victory.

Near stared at the bored with no emotion, and then his eyes moved up to meet L's. They stared at each other in silence for a minute before L decided to break it. "Impressive. Your strategy was almost flawless, save for one small thing."

"And what exactly would that be?"

"You're far too organized. While organization is highly important, too much of it causes your moves to be predictable. You must never become predictable to your opponent; no matter how neatly the pieces fit into the puzzle. If you do, you will be crushed."

Near continued to stare at L in silence. L considered asking for another game, but he was really ready to leave. A smile even creepier than L's suddenly swept across the child's face. "I… see. I see."

"Well then… carry on." L smiled his childish smile and winked at Near before getting up and reclaiming the box he had been carrying. He walked away at his usual sluggish speed; leaving Near behind watching in silent awe.

In all, L had actually enjoyed his day with his younger _'brothers',_ as he sometimes called them in his mind. Each one seemed to represent a different extreme of his own personality. The further away he walked from the orphanage, the more his thoughts started to fall back to his situation with Raine. He hadn't seen or spoken with her in three days. He called Watari several times a day to check on her, but he didn't care to speak with her directly. His mind started racing as he neared his hotel. _'If that brain scan comes back normal; so help me…' _He clinched his fist inside his pocket._ 'I'll make her tell me what's going on; even if that means breaking my promise… and lying to her.'_

**Oh no L! Don't do it! Well, now you know who Gukku is. Look him up on page 50 of Death Note Volume 13: How to read! I seriously hope I managed to keep Mello and Near in Character! I've never written anything for them before! The stories that L relays to Mello is based on parts of Death Note: Another Note.**

**I might not be able to update again until the first week of October. I'm turning 30 (boo!) this week and I'm going out of town to celebrate. I might end up surprising everyone, but don't expect it. Thanks for reading, everyone! =)**


	18. Lie

**I DO NOT OWN DEATH NOTE!**

**Author's Note : Believe it or not, I managed to post a chapter just before my trip out of town! Yay me! Thanks to all for the birthday wishes! ^_^ You might think L is a total jerk in this chapter... and you might also think Raine isn't being all that nice either... but I'll just let you have to hate them for now. The crap hits the fan here!**

**

* * *

**

A week passed before L returned to the Wammy estate. Raine wasn't in view when he returned, so he walked in stealth mode to his room and locked the door behind him. L stayed there for two full days before Raine even realized he had returned. Onasisk was the one who finally informed her. She was lounging in one of the chairs by the pool when he appeared to her. "Your lover doesn't like to sleep, does he?"

Raine sat up straight and looked over at the chair beside her. He was there; fading in and out like a ghost. "Onasisk… you're not looking so good."

"I'll last longer than you think. I need to speak with your lover, but I'm only able to make myself known to him in his dreams… or when you're playing your song and he's in his trance. I've tried and tried to enter his dreams, but the man seldom sleeps! Even when he does sleep, he normally doesn't stay in the REM cycle long enough for me to get through."

"Why do you need to talk to him so bad? I thought you hated him."

"I just need a quick heart to heart, man to man word. It's really none of your concern."

"Is it not?" Raine cut her eyes at him. "He told me that he's seen you in my field before. Why are you messing with his mind? Why can't you just leave him alone?"

"I visited him in his dreams the night you arrived at this estate. I meant no ill will. I only asked him if he knew what he was… and what you were. He was reluctant to answer either question before he left his sleep cycle."

"He's one of us, isn't he?"

Onasisk smiled slyly. "Why don't you go talk to him about it?"

Raine sighed. "He isn't here. I have no idea where he went or when he'll be back."

"Don't be a fool. He's right under your nose."

Raine sat up in her chair. "Are you saying he's here? Then he's just now returning! I want to go greet him!" She got up and started to hurry away.

"Akaia, he returned two days ago."

She stopped in her tracks. "Two…days ago?" She turned around to face Onasisk again. She looked hurt by what she had just heard.

"I'm afraid so."

"But… why didn't he let me know? Is he avoiding me?" Raine was starting to fear that L regretted what had happened between them the week before. Maybe he really hadn't been ready to take that big of a step.

Onasisk was suddenly inches away from her. He tried to touch her face, but his hand went right through her. "Akaia, look up at the sky and tell me what you see."

Raine looked up, half expecting to see something other than the sky. "The sky has been covered in dark clouds for two days straight. It looks like there could be a downpour at any minute."

"Whether or not that downpour happens, will determine everything."

Raine continued to look up at the sky. "He _is_ an elemental. He's a rain spirit. I know I'm right. What would a downpour determine? Tell me what's going on, Onasisk!"

"You will have to see him at his worse before you can determine if you're truly in love with him. For that reason alone, I will not interfere for the time being. I only hate that I can't find Gukku at the moment. Without your memories, you won't be able to answer all of the questions that torment him."

"Onasisk, I don't understand what it is you're trying to do. You don't want me telling him anything one minute; and the next you're wishing I had my memories back so I can tell him _everything_! Are you always so wishy-washy?"

"The answer is no. I was very conflicted about this entire thing in the beginning; but now that I've seen it for what it truly is and I've moved past my jealousy, I'm rooting for the happy ending. It's entirely my fault that the two of you are going to have such a hard time getting there. I am truly sorry; but I promise it will make the love you share even stronger when all is said and done."

Raine was getting frustrated. "Will you just tell me what's going on? Is L upset with me about something? Damn it, Onasisk! Don't keep me in the dark!"

Onasisk made himself invisible before he answered. "Go to him. And listen for the rain! When and if the storm begins, his true feelings will be obvious."

Seeing that Onasisk obviously didn't wish to talk anymore, Raine decided to go inside and find L. _'There's really only one place he could be.'_ She headed up the stairs and down the long hallway; stopping at L's bedroom door. She hesitated before knocking. _'Why do I have this overwhelming feeling something bad is about to happen?'_

There was no answer at first. Raine was about to walk away when the door finally opened. It opened just wide enough for L to stand in the door frame. They stared at each other in silence for a minute. Raine was trying to read his face, but it was proving impossible. He finally spoke in a low annoyed tone. "Was there something you needed?"

"W-well I… just wanted to say _hello_. I had no idea you were back."

"If you were unaware of my return then why did you knock on my door?"

"I-I… why are you giving me an attitude? Did I do something wrong?"

L narrowed his eyes, but didn't answer. After another minute of awkward silence, Raine sighed in frustration. "What the hell is going on? And why are you so secretive about your stupid bedroom? Are you afraid I'll see your blow up dolls?" She kicked his door open the rest of the way, almost knocking him off balance. It was a childish attempt to annoy him. Her eyes widened when she caught a glimpse of the room. It was completely empty. No furniture. No bed. There was only a computer in a room of bare white walls. "This… is… your bedroom?"

L came out into the hallway and closed the door behind him. His eyes met hers for one last minute of awkward silence before closing in dread. _'This… is it.'_ His hand found her bracelet and lightly tugged on it. He opened his eyes and started walking, pulling her by her bracelet. "Come with me."

Raine tried to question him as they walked. "Where are we going? Why are you acting so weird?"

"There will be no small talk. I'm not in the mood."

"W-what the…" Raine suddenly fell silent. Something serious was going on, and her intuition was telling her that L was not on her side. He led her into a study and closed off all of the entrances. It was slightly bigger than the other studies in the mansion she had seen. What made it even more different was the marble fireplace. L pulled out a chair from the game table and motioned for her to sit down. A hint of irritation crossed his face when she didn't immediately respond. "Please, sit."

"No, thank you."

His nails dug into the chair. "I would highly prefer it if you sit down."

"And _I _would highly prefer it if I remained standing."

He tried not to show the extent of his irritation and slowly pushed the chair back under the table. "Very well then, I could honestly care less if you're comfortable. You will stand there until I say you can move."

Raine looked dumbfounded. "E-excuse me?"

"I don't repeat myself." L walked past her. Raine started to turn around so she could keep an eye on him. "You will not turn around unless I tell you to."

"W-what? Quite being a dominate jerk! This isn't like you at all! What is this all about?"

"You're mistaken. This is _very_ like me. It's who I am. I am L. I _always_ dominate- every investigation bureau, every police headquarters, and every suspect. When I give an order, it's followed." He came up behind her and whispered in her ear. "You'll make it a lot easier for both of us if you remain still." He took her hands and moved them behind her back. Raine could feel cold metal wrapping around her wrists, followed by a couple of clicks.

Much to Raine's disbelief, he was handcuffing her. She was too shocked to move. Regardless of what he said, this wasn't the L that she had been getting to know for almost a year. It was as though he were a completely different person. "L… why? Why are you doing this?"

"Why _not_?"

"What do you mean 'why not'? Either this is some sort of crazy bondage game you've concocted, or you're truly intending to cause me harm!" He had cuffed her ankles while she was speaking. The chain was so short in between the cuffs; even an inch of movement would have probably caused her to fall- like two shoe laces tied together.

"You truly believe I would hurt you? So there's no trust on either end? _That_ only proves just how wrong for each other we really are."

Raine wanted to start crying, but her anger was winning out. "That's not fair, L."

"I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but life normally _isn't_ fair." He opened a cherry lollipop and stuck it in his mouth.

"What do you want from me? I don't understand what's going on!"

"You're under arrest, of course."

"Under arre-… for what?"

"Do I really need to explain it to you?"

"Yes, I believe you _do_!"

"Well, if you_ insist_." His sarcasm sickened her. "You're under arrest for conspiring to kill Deneuve." He had chosen one of his lesser aliases to use. L knew that Raine was aware of the authority's feelings towards L. They wouldn't go out of their way to make an arrest for a conspiracy to kill him. As useful as L was to the authorities, he was also just as hated. Deneuve, on the other hand, was very well liked and respected. Deneuve had a face (though it was a decoy face). Raine would believe L if he claimed to have the grounds to arrest her under those circumstances.

L closed his eyes briefly before he continued. "It appears Deneuve suspected someone was trying to use manipulation and lust as a means of infiltrating his security; so he requested that L look into it. And just look what the greatest detective in the world managed to find." He walked over to the game table and opened a long drawer on the side. It was meant for holding game boards; but instead, it held Raine's flute. He brought it out into the open so she could see it.

"W-why do you have my flute?"

"You were planted next to the warehouse that night for me to find. I took you in and cared for you under the assumption that I was incapable of developing feelings for you; but you somehow manipulated me into falling in love with you. You used my emotions to your advantage and stole my dreams as well as my memories. I have no idea how you managed to do such a thing, but the only logical explanation I can come up with is that you did it with this instrument that you play- the one that literally mesmerizes people. You planned on destroying me slowly by invading my mind."

Raine was fighting her tears. "No! That isn't true!"

"But it _is_ true, my dear; and you will remain in those chains until the lower authorities arrive. They shall then transfer you to a facility that deals with your kind on a regular bases and I shall move on with my life without regret."

"You can't do this! You don't have any proof to back up your theory!"

"I'm afraid I have more than enough evidence right here." L suddenly strolled over to the fireplace. "However, since you were kind enough to entertain me for awhile in the bedroom last week, I suppose I'll help you out." He placed her flute in the fireplace and grabbed a can of lighter fluid and matches from a nearby drawer. Raines eyes widened in horror as she watched L pour lighter fluid on her prize possession. He nonchalantly glanced at her reaction and continued his wrath. "Don't look so upset. Once I destroy this badly crafted piece of wood; there will be little more than circumstantial evidence remaining to convict you. It's to your benefit that your tool for controlling people be destroyed."

"No! L, please stop! I'm begging you! I haven't done anything wrong!" She was yelling at him through her sobs.

Though his hands were trembling fiercely, he managed to light a match. As he watched the match begin to burn down to his fingers and he heard the cries of the woman whom meant more to him than anything else ever had or ever would, a part of himself couldn't bring himself to throw the match. _'I… can't do this.' _L suddenly felt very sick to hisstomach. The flame that danced before his eyes reminded him of the night he apprehended Beyond Birthday. The image of one of his dreams suddenly came to him. He suddenly found himself face to face with a man engulfed in flames. _'Who… is that? It's… B… Someone put the fire out! He's in pain! I didn't stop it!' _L lost his ability to breathe when the man looked him dead in the eyes and spoke._ "That's right, L! You let me light the match, brother! No… __**you**__ lit it for me!"_

"I wasn't the one who lit the match. Was I?" It was exactly the same thing he had said to Raine in New Orleans just before passing out from his fever. L felt a sudden pain on his finger tips, causing him to snap out of his hallucination. The match had burned all the way down to his fingers. Unfortunately, the reflex of pulling away from the pain made him toss the match. All it took was that small dying flame to ignite the fluid. He didn't even realize what he had done until he heard Raine's cry.

L caught a glance of the flames igniting in the fireplace before darting around to see Raine falling. She had apparently forgotten about the shackles around her ankles and had tried to step forward to save her most precious material possession. L managed to break her fall and catch her before she hit the floor, though he could not regain enough balance to remain standing. They both tumbled to the floor, with L taking the brunt of the fall. "_This_ is why I wanted you to sit down. Are you alright?"

The only response that came from Raine was uncontrollable crying. Every now and then, she would choke on "Why?" Neither one of them seemed aware that L was holding her in his arms; instinctively trying to comfort her. L had to bite his tongue to the point of bleeding- not only to keep himself from comforting her with words; but also, to keep himself from shedding tears. He felt as though he could actually feel her heart crumbling alongside his own. Watari had been right. L's impulses had finally won over his other senses and he was now regretting it more than anything.

Outside, Onasisk closed his eyes and smiled as the rain fell violently through his transparent form. "My, what a storm! I haven't seen a water sprite cry this hard since the night Adian and his mother were stabbed! He not only carries the burden of his own broken heart, but now he carries hers as well. If only Akaia could see his pain right now. He might as well be ripping his own heart out of his chest. This isn't over. This is only just beginning." The storm had given Onasisk the reassurance he was looking for. It proved to him that even when L was at his absolute worse, his love for Raine never lifted. While his cruelty was uncalled for, it was also little more than an act.

The storm had knocked out the power inside the mansion. The curtains of the study had been pulled, so the only visible light came from the burning flute in the fire place. L was no longer holding on to Raine. He now sat on the floor a few feet away from her; hugging his knees and staring at the floor. Raine was still restrained. She rested on the floor in silence as she watched her flute burn. Her eyes were red and puffy from crying. Tears were still running down her face. L still felt sick. He had pulled stunts like this with his suspects in the past without actually being seen. Though it had always proven to be an effective method for getting people to talk, he had never imagined he would be low enough to use such a method on his beloved Raine.

He kept his eyes closed and brought his hand to his brow. "It wasn't supposed to be like this. I wanted to make a life with you. I wanted us to share an unbreakable bond that no one could ever touch." He sucked on the tip of his thumb for comfort. "You can't expect me to spend my life with you if you think you can play with my mind whenever you please. I'm not fully satisfied with my theory, but I know for a fact that you're capable of doing things that the average human being cannot. You've erased my memories twice, and you refuse to tell me who you are or where you came from. You know these things. I'm sure of it. Every time you regain a memory, you keep me in the dark. And if all of that weren't enough, you could be the key to helping me understand and come to terms with the nightmare that torments me every time I close my eyes, yet you flat out refuse to help me. I'm afraid that isn't what I define as love."

Raine didn't answer right away. She continued to stare at the light from the fireplace; feeling completely numb inside. "I don't define restraining me and forcing me to watch you destroy my only true possession as love either." Her voice was cracked. "Not that I any longer care, but I don't believe I heard you right. You said that your memory was erased twice?"

"You shouldn't have to ask me something like that. You know what you've stolen from me. It's more than just the memories."

"I didn't steal shit from you! I thought we were past all of this!"

"No. This is too serious to just move past. The first time, it was a couple of hours. Then it was almost an entire day. What is your motive and how far are you willing to take it? In all honesty, I'm starting to fear the thought of being anywhere near you. The thought of being your senile toy for the rest of my life doesn't appeal to me in the least."

"When you woke up in my room that morning; you didn't remember anything that had happened the day before. Is that right?"

"That's the way you intended it. Is it not?"

"I didn't… just forget it. If you really think I'm manipulating you, then I'm not going to waste my breath. You're right in assuming that your memory loss is a result of being with me. It isn't a health problem or a psychological issue. I'll tell you what I know before they come to take me away, but don't count on remembering any of it tomorrow."

"It doesn't matter if I remember it or not. Our conversation is being recorded and logged by an outside source. Now, you will tell me who _you_ are. I would also like to know if you're familiar with the man who is currently staying in that field."

Raine closed her eyes and sighed. "Onasisk is… my lover and fiancé." She was very angry with Onasisk; but she was even angrier with L. "It doesn't matter who _I_ am anymore. Without that flute, I'm just a typical human being with no purpose until this body finally dies." She glared at the fire before she continued. "I know who _you_ are. That's what you've really been wanting me to tell you all along, isn't it… Adian?"

There was a long silence. She had completely taken L by surprise. L pulled his legs closer to his stomach. The nausea was almost too much. L wasn't ready to discuss her fiancé. He knew he would lose it if he did. "You think… _I'm_ Adian?"

"I don't _think_. I _know_."

"And what exactly brings you to that conclusion?"

"You're a rain spirit, just as Adian and his father were. The stabbings happened just over twenty years ago, which puts you at the right age. You of all people should know who you are. Don't tell me you don't remember your own mother."

"For your information, I was found deserted in an alley when I was a toddler. There were no stab wounds anywhere on my body. Adian is dead... assuming he even existed at all."

"No! You are Adian! You have his eyes! The birthmark on your chest is where the blade went in. You shouldn't have survived it, but someone interfered and threw things out of balance. You're not living off of your original lifespan!"

L tried to remain indifferent to what she was saying. "There's no record of the cathedral slayings ever happening. I've searched for years without a single lead. Adian is little more than a figment of my imagination that you've somehow managed to tap in to; perhaps with that song you play. We aren't really connected at all, are we?"

"I may not have any memory of it, but I can put two and two together from everything I've learned! I'm the one who extended your lifespan and took you away from that horrible place! That's why I was put into a state of suspended animation for 20 years! The only reason you're alive right now is because of me!"

"Now, that's a bold statement. You aren't any older than I am. Are you suggesting it was an infant who _saved _me from my father's hands?"

"No, you arrogant bastard! I'm over a century old! And he wasn't your real father! He killed your real father!"

"A century old? I can't help but find all of this amusing. Perhaps I should make arrangements to have you committed to a mental institution." He wasn't feeling so amused on the inside. He knew there was at least _some_ truth to what she was saying, but he didn't understand any of it. He moved closer to her and blocked her view of the fireplace. L wanted to make sure they were making eye contact. "Now you know that I truly am a monster. And you… are obviously something that isn't from this world." He looked away from her before he continued. L knew that eye contact showed that he truly meant what he was about to say, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. Perhaps it was because, he _didn't_ truly mean it. "I think it's more than obvious you and I aren't going to work."

Raine rolled over and closed her eyes. "I more than agree. How much longer are your people going to be? These cuffs are digging into my wrists and it's starting to hurt."

L removed the keys from his pocket and started to un-cuff her. "No one is coming and you're not under arrest. It was all a lie."

The second Raine's hands were free; she punched him in the face as hard as she possibly could; sending L flying backwards. His head hit hard on the side of a coffee table, which almost knocked him out. He curled up on the floor in pain; holding his head and lightly moaning. Raine rushed over to him in concern. "Oh my god, L! Are you okay? I'm so sorry!" L wasn't responding. He was still conscious, but he was dazed. Raine noticed the blood on his hand and freaked out. "L, your head is bleeding!" She held up a finger in front of L's face and told him to follow it with his eyes, but he couldn't. His eyes began to close. "L, don't fall asleep! You have to stay awake! Damn it, you're an expert at keeping your eyes open! Talk to me!"

L finally managed to speak. "Help me, Raine. Help me fall out of love with you. I can't handle this sort of pain." He was struggling to keep his eyes open. "Your flute… I didn't burn it."

"No, Hun. I'm afraid you did."

"No… listen to me. It was a copy. The real flute is still safe in your case. I'd never destroy something that means so much to you. Please, just take it and leave. I've arranged a new life for you… away from me. It isn't much, but it's a decent start. You may leave it whenever you're confident you can make it elsewhere if that is your wish. Please… just call Watari and leave."

Raine held him in her arms and started to cry again. "I'll leave when I know you're okay. I think you have a concussion, L. Is your cell phone in your pocket? I'll call Watari. We need to get you to ER!"

"Yes. It's there, along with your new identity. Watari has most of the paper work, but I have your identification card. This isn't an alias. You are now a legal British citizen. Congratulations." He tried to find his pocket, but he was having problems with his coordination. Raine fished out his phone, along with the ID card. As she waited for Watari to answer his phone, she stared at her new legal name. "_Akaia Raine Lawliet. _I guess it shouldn't surprise me that you'd choose a surname that starts with _'law'_."

L managed a very weak smile. "That's not really the reason I assigned you that surname. It's… just a random name generated from a computer database."

There was a voice on the other end of L's cell phone. "Yes?"

"Watari, this is Raine! I really don't have time to go into the details, but I think L has a concussion and he needs immediate medical attention!"

"Understood. I'll be there in less than 5 minutes."

L closed his eyes, but was quickly shaken out of it by Raine. "L, I need you to stay awake!"

"I'm not going to fall asleep. I have a headache and wish to close my eyes for a moment."

"No! Not going to happen! Try and follow my finger again." He still couldn't do it. "L, please just don't stop talking, okay? Tell me a story if you have to!"

"A story? Well, I suppose I can manage that. Since you seem so interested in the topic of Adian, I suppose it wouldn't hurt if I told you why I don't like cathedrals with bells." His words sounded a little off to her; sluggish. She was surprised he was able to articulate at all.

She held on to him and ran her hand through his wild hair and tried to calm her voice. "That's… fine. Just don't stop talking. You have to stay awake."

With every ounce of energy he had, he concentrated on telling her about his nightmare in order to stay awake. L's sadness still engulfed him. He knew it would probably be the last time she held on to him.

**Please don't hate me for this chapter. I originally had another idea in mind completly, but somethimes the characters sort of take over and write it themselves- if that makes any sense. Don't give up hope on either of them just yet. This story is getting very close to it's conclusion. Let's see if they can patch things up.**


	19. Forbidden Love

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Death Note!**

**Author Note: **

**CONTENT WARNING! There's a lot of violence and a very very sad moment at the end of the chapter. Keep a box of tissues near!**

**1. I'm so sorry it took me so long to update! I was out of town for a while, plus I was working on a writing commission! I still have one more writing commission to go, so the next chapter might be a week late as well. My sincerest apologies! =(**

**2. I'm going to do a Deviant Art contest for this story. For all who are interested, go to my profile and visit my Deviant Art link. There is also an awesome picture of Onasisk and a new pic of Raine up!**

**3. L and Raine will not be in this chapter (well, technically L won't be in this chapter). This is the story of Adian and his parents. It was really hard to write because there was just so much to cover and I felt like I was rushing through it! Sorry if the amount of time in the chapter moves ahead too fast. This story was meant to take up more than just a chapter!**

"Guess what, Mommy? "

"What is it, baby?

"I learned about the different types of clouds in my library book!"

Keiko looked over at her son in complete awe. At only three years old, he was already at a 4th grade reading level. "You did? What are they called?

Adian proudly named off the different cloud classifications (cumulus, stratus, cirrus, nimbus) – slowly pronouncing them for accuracy and giving a brief description of each.

"Wow, Adian! I always thought they were just thin, fluffy, white or dark! You're my little genius!"

"I know, Mommy! I'm ready for another library book now!"

"Not tonight, baby. The library is closed now. We'll go tomorrow morning and get you another one for the trip, okay?"

"Okay, Mommy!" Adian grinned from ear to ear as he stuffed his dessert into his mouth. "Mommy, may I have some chocolate milk, please?"

"Yes and don't talk with your mouth full, baby. It isn't nice."

Adian made sure to finish chewing before he answered. "Sorry, Mommy. May I build a new marble maze track after I finish?"

"Adian, sweetie, it's almost time for bed. You need to change into your pajamas."

"Lawliet isn't tired yet." Adian was referring to his panda bear.

"I don't know; he looks pretty sleepy to me! Just look at those dark circles under his eyes!"

Adian laughed at his mother. "No, Mommy! Lawliet has dark circles because he's a panda!"

Keiko gave her son a small cup of chocolate milk and looked up at the clock on the kitchen wall. "I'm serious, Sweetie. We have a very long day ahead of us tomorrow." Keiko was anxious. She had spent most of the day packing her and Adian's belongings. She was planning to take Adian and leave at daybreak. Keiko was determined to be out of town before her husband returned from his business trip.

Keiko had been having an affair on and off for almost 5 years. They had met one rainy day just outside of the library. Keiko worked as a librarian. The young man with untamed brown hair and fair skin had walked into the library and browsed for a while; though at the time, she had been too wrapped up in her work to take notice.

He approached her later that day as she was locking up the main entrance. "Hey, excuse me, Miss. I hate to be a bother, but I believe I left my umbrella inside. Is there any way you could go and look for me? I'd hate to walk home without it in this downpour."

Keiko hesitated. She was the last one leaving the building, and she wasn't sure if she should chance unlocking the door only to be shoved in and attacked. "Well, I… guess it is raining pretty hard out." Her intuition told her that he was okay, so she took the chance and unlocked the door. "Any idea where you might have left it?"

"I believe I left it on top of the card catalog. I'm not certain though."

Keiko smiled at him and opened the door. "I'll just take a quick look." She quickly walked inside and locked the door behind her so he couldn't follow- just in case. Sure enough, she found a navy blue umbrella resting on top of the card catalog. She grabbed it and headed back out.

"Oh, thank you so much! You're very kind!" His smile was warm and friendly. He waved goodbye and started to walk away. She extended her own umbrella and proceeded to walk in the same direction. He stopped when he noticed she was walking behind him. "Are you going in the same direction I am?"

She hesitated again. She still couldn't be completely sure that the man standing in front of her wasn't a predator. "Y-yes, I suppose I am."

"I'll walk with you if you'd like. Rainy days are always more pleasant when spent with the company of others."

"A-alright. Where are you headed?"

"I have a small apartment on Third Street."

"Really? I've never seen you around before. I thought maybe you were from out of town."

The man laughed. "I've lived in many places: but currently, I'm a local resident."

Keiko smiled shyly. "I've been a local here since I was an infant. My mother was Japanese and my father was English. They traveled together a lot before I was born, and eventually settled here."

"Japanese and English. I see they create beautiful children together." His grin widened as he watched her blush.

"So… you were in the library earlier today? I don't recall seeing you check anything out."

"That's because the book I was hoping to find wasn't available."

"Oh, what book were you looking for?"

"I was hoping to find The Birth of Tragedy by Friedrich Nietzsche. It wasn't in the catalog."

"I'd be more than happy to give you a request form to fill out if you'd like to stop by again."

He smiled and licked his bottom lip. "I would much appreciate it, Miss."

They continued with small conversations as they walked. They shared their interests in different authors and favorite pieces of literature. Keiko was almost disappointed when they reached the front of her apartment complex. There was a vibe about the man that made her feel good. "This is where I stop, I'm afraid. You were very kind to walk with me."

"The pleasure was all mine." He smiled and nodded his head. His brown eyes danced as they took in her face. "I suppose you'll see me again tomorrow to fill out that request form."

"Of course!"

"My name is Lawliet, by the way. Forgive me for not properly introducing myself earlier."

Keiko giggled shyly. "Don't apologize! I haven't told you my name either. I'm Keiko."

"Keiko… what a beautiful name. Well, Keiko. It was very nice meeting you. Thank you again for the umbrella."

"You're very welcome! See you tomorrow!" Keiko hoped she didn't sound too cheerful. She waved goodbye and hurried off to her apartment. In their brief introduction, Lawliet had made her feel something that she hadn't felt in a long time. He made her feel like she actually mattered. Lawliet actually seemed interested in what she had to say, though he had only just met her.

Lawliet visited Keiko at work the next day as well as the day after that. His visits became like clockwork; and soon, they had fallen in love. It was something completely new for Keiko. She had never felt a love for her husband that was strong enough to move her heart to a whole new level.

She and her husband had started dating out of boredom. Keiko never really developed solid feelings for him. Their relationship was just something she… _did_. He eventually professed his love for her and proposed. Being a man of short temper as well as very possessive, Keiko didn't have it in her to turn him down. He wouldn't have taken it lightly. After all, it wasn't like anyone else was knocking down her door.

Keiko had settled for her first suitor for reasons she, herself, didn't completely understand. She only knew that her first year of marriage had been misery. Even though her husband shared a house and bed with her, she always felt alone. Keiko had accepted it as fact that true love was little more than a fairy tale, until Lawliet stepped into the picture.

She would often extend her lunch breaks just to spend time with him. They would spend time at the park or eat at a restaurant. Every now and then, her husband would go out of town and she and Lawliet would take full advantage of it. Keiko had finally found love in Lawliet- the kind of love that interfered with her sleep and made her stomach feel queasy with the anticipation of seeing him.

Lawliet was in very much the same boat as Keiko. His ultimate dream was to sweep her away from her mundane life and make her his bride. He would have gladly parted the waters for her if she requested it. He and Keiko had wanted to make plans to start a new life together. Unfortunately, a single event made Keiko decide against it.

There had always been something about her husband that scared her. On the outside, he appeared to be an average man with the average bad habits of drinking and slacking off in his marriage. It wasn't really enough for Keiko to complain about. However, his usual disposition was very intimidating. He was quick to lose his temper if things didn't always go his way and there were times when he could be very cruel. His coworkers had often commented at employee dinners that he wasn't quite all there.

Keiko was lounging on the couch one evening, watching a movie that involved an unfaithful wife. Much to Keiko's surprise, her husband actually sat down and watched with her. That was a rare event. Keiko imagined the only reason he was paying her any attention was because he expected an intimate encounter. He seldom paid her attention for any other reason.

Her husband watched the movie in disgust. "What a hoar! I wouldn't let the bitch get away with that! He's too forgiving!"

Keiko remained silent for a minute. Finally, her curiosity got the better of her. "What would you do, then?"

A cold gaze swept across his face. He had the empty look in his eyes that said he was detached from all compassion. "I would kill her lover and make sure no one ever found him. I could be forgiving enough to let her live, but it would depend on the extent of my hurt and anger. People don't take marriage seriously enough. They think they can just make empty promises with the Lord as witness and then walk away whenever they feel like it. Infidelity should be punishable by however the non offending party sees fit."

"I-I'm not completely sure I agree with that. That isn't a legit reason to take a life or hurt someone. I think the guy in the movie is doing the right thing by trying to see the situation from all sides."

His eyes were still cold and empty as he continued to stare at the screen. "You don't take back vows made before God. If anyone ever attempted to take you away from me, it is my right as the husband to dispose of them."

"What a horrible thing to say! To think you would actually kill another human being out of jealousy!"

Her husband never replied, but instead finished the movie in silence. Keiko stared at the screen as well; but she was no longer watching the movie. Her body felt completely numb. She knew her husband was being very serious. He wasn't the kind of man who enjoyed jokes. It wasn't until the movie was rolling the credits that he spoke again. "My coworker has seen you with him. If I hear tell of it again, he won't live to break another marriage. I promise you that."

Keiko had to choke back her tears. She would never be able to leave him without someone getting seriously hurt; and that someone would more than likely be Lawliet. She closed her eyes and tried to keep a straight face. It was then that she realized that she had met her true love _a day late and a dollar short_, as they say. Her husband had pushed her into a corner and chained her there, just as she felt he had done when he proposed.

Keiko fell ill from a broken heart after that. She couldn't hold any food down and all she wanted to do was sleep; so she called out of work for a few days. When she finally returned to work, Lawliet was waiting for her on the stairs that led to the library entrance. "Keiko, they told me inside that you were sick. I've been going insane not being able to call and check on you. Are you feeling better? I hope it was nothing serious."

Keiko managed a weak smile. "I'm fine, Lawliet. Thanks."

"You don't appear to be _fine_. Is something wrong?" Lawliet tried to embrace her, but she pulled away. "Keiko, what is it?"

Her dark eyes met his light brown ones and started to tear up. "Lawliet… we need to discuss something. Could we meet at the park on my lunch break?"

"Well, yes. That's normally what we do. Will you at least tell me what's wrong?"

"We'll talk about it at lunch, I promise. Just tell me you'll be there."

Lawliet took her hand and kissed it several times. "Of course, Love. You know I'll be there." He hugged her and told her he loved her before leaving. Keiko wanted to burst into tears, but she had to make sure not to break down at her job.

When her lunch break finally arrived, Keiko hurried to the park. She paid extra close attention to her surroundings, making sure no one was watching her. Lawliet was sitting on one of the benches waiting. He started to get up when he saw her approaching, but she motioned for him not to. "Keiko, please tell me what's wrong. Has your husband found out about us? You know it's better that he know. It isn't fair to him for you to keep hiding it. The sooner he knows, the sooner we can be together."

Keiko didn't answer immediately. She sat beside him, keeping a safe distance just in case anyone was watching. "Lawliet…" She tried to look at him, but she couldn't. She looked at the ground instead. "Lawliet, we can't do this anymore. We need to end it."

Lawliet could hardly believe what he was hearing. "Keiko… no. You can't mean that."

It took everything in her not to cry. "But I _do_ mean it, Lawliet! I'm a married woman! This is wrong! I'm sorry, but I don't want to see you anymore!" She jolted up and started to walk away. "Goodbye, Lawliet. Please, don't come and visit me at work anymore."

Lawliet got up and walked after her. "Keiko, please! Don't do this to us! You don't really mean this! Something is wrong! Tell me what's wrong!" He caught up with her and put his hand on her shoulder so she would stop. When she did, he turned her around and placed both hands on her shoulders. "Keiko, if you're truly being sincere, then look me in the eyes and tell me you meant everything you just said."

He studied her face and waited. She couldn't do it. There was no way she could bring herself to look him in the eyes and tell him the mother of all lies. He requested it again; the hurt in his eyes could have melted the coldest of hearts. "Keiko, look me in the eyes and tell me you don't love me!"

Keiko mustered up every negative feeling she had and looked him in the eyes for a split second. "I hate you! Stay as far away from me as possible!" She jerked away from him and started running. She didn't stop when she heard him calling to her. She couldn't. Keiko wasn't going to let the man she held so dear to her fall victim to her sadistic husband's jealous hands.

Keiko saw Lawliet once more after work. He was leaning against the outside wall of the library with his head down. Keiko couldn't see his eyes for the mess of wild brown hair falling over them. The weather was dark and cloudy. It looked as though it would rain. Keiko tried to hurry past him unnoticed. He didn't bother looking up when she walked by, but he did feel inclined to speak. "Is it really your wish to never see me again?"

She closed her eyes and clenched her fists tightly. "Yes, Lawliet. I'm sorry. Please, just…go away. It's over."

Lawliet closed his eyes and looked up at the sky. "Granted. I'll do as you wish, but I'll never stop loving you, Keiko." He walked up to her and handed her his umbrella. "I believe you'll need this." It had already started to drizzle. His eyes met hers one more time. Lawliet's eyes were full of hurt and confusion, but he remained calm and collected. Without another word, he walked away. Keiko watched him until he was no longer visible. She hugged his umbrella and burst into tears. It wasn't fair. Why was it a crime for two people who were madly in love to be together? She squatted down and covered her face with her hands as she cried. _'It isn't fair! It isn't fair!' _She felt sick again. Keiko walked home that afternoon in the pouring down rain. She never opened Lawliet's umbrella. Instead, she cradled it in her arms as if it were a child. It was all she had left of Lawliet.

It was only two weeks later that she found out she was pregnant. Keiko knew deep in her heart that it was Lawliet's child. After several days of debating, she decided to go to Lawliet's apartment to tell him. She knocked on his door for several minutes, but no one answered. The neighbor across from him eventually poked her head out of the door. "Are you looking for Lawliet?"

"Yes, do you know if he's home?"

"Sorry, Hun, but Lawliet moved about a week ago. He said something about going out to sea on some sort of expedition in the Arctic."

Keiko felt like her world was collapsing around her. "I… see. Thank you." Lawliet was a passionate oceanographer. He had mentioned to her before his dream of traveling to the Arctic to study the ice caps and the surrounding ocean floor. Now that Keiko had banished him from her life, there was nothing to stop him from going. She held her abdomen and cried. "Oh, baby! I'm so sorry! We're on our own!" What would her husband do if in fact her child turned out to be Lawliet's? "I guess we'll just have to convince him that you're his, little one. I don't know what else to do."

She managed to easily convince her husband the child was his, or so she thought. She was never aware of the private investigator her husband had hired to follow her. He was still very suspicious that she was having an affair. When the child was born, she was grateful to see that he had her black hair and dark eyes. Those were the only features, however, that resembled her own. Little Adian was a splitting image of Lawliet; though it was hard for just anyone to tell since Adian was still only an infant. Keiko's husband sincerely believed that Adian was his son. He wasn't the sort of father who enjoyed spending a lot of time with an infant, but he made sure that Adian was well provided for and never went without.

Keiko centered her entire life around her son. Adian was her only happiness, and he was part of the man she loved. She left her job at the library so she could be with him at all times of the day. As he grew older, he began to look more and more like his father. He had his father's long fingers and his nose. Though his hair was raven black like his mother's, it was thick and unmanageable, as his father's was. It was becoming more and more obvious with age that Adian was a love child. Keiko had studied her husband's old family album meticulously. By the power of suggestion, she kept her husband ignorant to the truth. "Oh look, honey! He has your grandmother's nose!"

Though she was able to fool him, she was still miserable inside. She couldn't get over Lawliet, and she blamed her husband for robbing her and her son of the chance to know the one man who could complete them. She grew to hate her husband, and cringed every time he touched her. She had to make her mind wander to a different place when they had intimate encounters. There were times when her anger was the only thing that fueled her body to go through with it.

It wasn't until Adian was three that Keiko saw Lawliet again. She had taken Adian to play in the park. As she sat under a shady tree and watched Adian play on the playground equipment, she heard a familiar voice come from behind her. "He's so beautiful, Keiko. Why didn't you tell me?"

It took Keiko a moment to turn around. She was in a state of shock. Finally, she turned and looked up. He was standing only 2 feet away from her. "L-Law…liet."

Lawliet nodded and gave her a warm smile before turning his attention back to the son he had yet to meet. Keiko stood up slowly, still in awe that he was actually there. "Lawliet… I-I wanted to tell you. I went to your apartment to tell you I was pregnant, but you were gone. I didn't know how else to contact you."

"My colleagues at the office would have gladly contacted me for you. You were so busy stressing over your husband, you gave up on me. That was cruel, Keiko. He's just as much my son as he is yours."

Keiko bit down on her bottom lip to keep from crying. "He would have killed you, Lawliet! You know he's crazy enough to do it!"

Lawliet frowned. "And yet Adian calls that man _Daddy_."

"What made you come back after all of this time? How did you find out about Adian?"

"You never intended on telling me, did you? That breaks my heart, Keiko. And I didn't think there were any pieces left for you to shatter. I found out about Adian because he's old enough now to know how to speak to the rain. The rain learned that he was my son and the wind blew the news my way. It's one of the many ways the elements communicate with each other."

Keiko never used to take him too seriously when he went on about the rain and the elements; but she knew now that it was more than just a dreamer's ramble. There had to be some sort of deeper meaning to it. Perhaps the elements were symbolic of something and they stood for something that only he knew. Adian had talked about having conversations with imaginary rain people before. It was a strange coincidence.

Keiko looked down at the grass. "I guess you hate me now."

Lawliet took a small step closer to her without breaking any comfort zones. "Do you not remember what I told you before I left? I said I would never stop loving you, and I meant it. Not a day has gone by these last three years that you haven't been in my thoughts. I still love you, Keiko. That'll never change."

Keiko suddenly closed the gap between them and threw herself into his arms. Lawliet wrapped his arms around her and held her close as she cried. The scene looked like something straight out of an old black and white romance movie. As heartfelt as the moment was; it would have appeared very cheesy to an on-looker. Their moment was interrupted by a small voice. "Mommy? What's wrong?" Keiko pulled away from Lawliet to see her small son standing beside them- looking up with wide eyes and sucking on his thumb.

"Everything's fine, sweetie. I promise." She kneeled down and smiled at him. "Adian, I'd like you to meet a very good friend of mine. This is Lawliet."

Adian looked at Lawliet and studied him for a moment. His curious eyes went back to his mother. "Lawliet? Like my bear?"

"Yes, Baby! Just like your bear!" Keiko stood back up and looked at Lawliet, who had arched his eyebrow in confusion. "_Lawliet_ is the name of his bear. I put a silver necklace around his neck before I gave it to him. It has a fancy letter L trinket around its neck with the name _Lawliet_ engraved on the back. My husband thinks it came with the bear. I don't even think he knows it's real silver." She said it quietly so Adian would have a hard time hearing.

Lawliet looked at Keiko with a moved expression. "You didn't forget me…" Keiko blushed and looked away. With a smile on his face, he leaned down to Adian's eye level. "It's nice to meet you, Adian!"

Adian smiled shyly and looked down. "Hi."

"Adian, would you and your mother like to go for some ice cream?"

The little boy perked up with excitement! "Ice cream? Yay! Can we, Mommy? Can we eat ice cream with Mr. Lawliet?"

Keiko smiled so brightly, it made her face hurt. "That sounds wonderful as long as you only get one scoop. You don't want to ruin your dinner." So, the three of them happily walked to the ice cream shop. It was Lawliet's first chance to get to know his son.

Adian ordered a scoop of cookie dough ice cream with chocolate syrup and sprinkles. Lawliet watched him proudly as Adian shoved a spoonful in mouth. "So, Adian, what kind of bear is Lawliet?"

"He's a panda bear! He's at home now because Mommy didn't want him to get dirty or lost at the park. Can you come to my house so you can meet him?"

Lawliet started to frown. "Well, I'm not sure I…"

"Lawliet would love to." Keiko answered for him. He gave her a questioning look. "He's out of town for the next few days on business."

Adian chimed in innocently. "Yes, Daddy isn't home. It makes the house happier."

Lawliet was very surprised to hear Adain say such a thing. He gave Keiko another questioning look. "Adian and his… they aren't very close."

"He makes Mommy sad. I don't like it."

Lawliet changed the subject; mainly because he wasn't sure what to say. "You seem very advanced for your age, Adian. I know your Mommy is proud of you."

Adian grinned from ear to ear with a mouth full of ice cream. "Yes, I'm smart! The doctor says I am!" Adian put his feet up in his chair and continued to eat.

"Adian, please put your feet down. It isn't polite."

"But I like sitting this way! It's com-for-table! Why do I always have to be polite?"

"Adain…" Keiko's tone was stern. Adian finally put his feet down and sulked for a few seconds before losing himself to his ice cream again.

They finished their ice cream and headed for Keiko and Adian's home. Lawliet was a little nervous, but he put his full trust in Keiko that her husband would not know he was there. Adian happily showed Lawliet his panda bear and asked him to play a board game with him. Keiko made them a lovely dinner and they laughed together at the dinner table. For the first time, Keiko felt like her family was complete. She had to wipe the tears of joy away from her face.

Soon it was time to put Adian to bed. Adian pulled at Lawliet's shirt. "Could you read me a story, Mr. Lawliet?"

Lawliet's heart almost melted. "Well sure, Adian! I'd love to!"

"I'll read you a story first. I can read!"

"W-wow! You can read at three? You really are a smart little guy, aren't you?"

"Yes! I'm going to be a genius when I grow up!"

Lawliet laughed at his little boy's comment. "I think you're already a genius."

Lawliet sat at the edge of Adian's bed and let Adian read him a book about a llama who wanted to fly. Afterward, Lawliet read a book about a group of animals that all lived in one tree. Just as he was reaching to turn off the lamp, Adian asked him a question. "Are you a rain man?"

Lawliet smiled and winked at the boy. "I guess you could call me that."

Adian smiled. "I knew it. I knew it as soon as I saw you. Will you come back and see us again?"

Lawliet tried his best not to frown. "Well, Adian… we'll see what happens. I really would like to see you and your mother again. Nothing would make me happier."

"It's because of Daddy, isn't it? Daddy doesn't like it when other adult boys talk to Mommy."

"I-I think… you should get some sleep now. Goodnight, Adian. I had a lot of fun with you today."

"Goodnight, Mr. Lawliet. If I don't see you again, then I'll just talk to you when it rains."

Lawliet smiled warmly at his son. "Yes, Adian. You can always reach me that way. Goodnight."

Adian pulled his panda bear close to him and sucked his thumb. He felt a strange connection to Lawliet. He thought about Lawliet and the rain people until he drifted off to sleep.

After Adain was asleep, Lawliet and Keiko stood in the living room and talked quietly amongst themselves. "So, what now?" Keiko was anxious. She knew that Lawliet would not be welcome in her life for long. She slowly felt herself sinking into misery again.

"I don't want that man raising our child."

Keiko felt her tears forming. "What do you want me to do, Lawliet? I can't just walk away! He's my husband!"

"You'd sentence yourself to an entire life of misery just to stay true to your vows? It isn't fair to you and in all honesty; it really isn't fair to him either. I'm sure he doesn't really want to spend the rest of his life with someone who hates him. The two of you are already miserable."

"I don't know how to get away from him." She was sobbing now.

Lawliet moved close and took her hands into his. "Do you want to be with me?"

She looked deep into his light brown eyes and knew exactly what she wanted. "Yes. More than anything. I want you and me and Adian to be happy together without anything to hide or anything to fear."

"Come with me to Japan then. I've made a decent life there and I have more than enough resources to take care of you and Adian. When does your husband return?"

"He isn't due home for another 3 days, but…"

"Leave with me the day after tomorrow and we'll have an attorney fill out the paperwork for divorce once we arrive. Please, Keiko. I want you and Adian in my life. We're in love with each other and Adian is our son. It's the way things _should_ be."

Keiko smiled through her tears. "When did you say we leave again?"

Lawliet smiled and kissed her passionately. They spent most of the night making love on the couch, and then said goodbye a little after sunrise. "I have to go into town and make extra travel arrangements for the two of you. Our boat will leave tomorrow morning and we'll board a plane to Japan once we get to the mainland. I'll keep my distance from here today just in case he comes home early. Can we still meet somewhere for lunch?"

"Let's meet at the café that we used to eat all the time when I was still working at the library."

Lawliet smiled as he wrapped his arms around her. "I'll see you this afternoon then." They lost themselves in a long kiss, pulling away when they heard Adian coming out of his room. "I love you." He nudged Keiko on the nose and stayed long enough to say hello to Adian.

After he left, Keiko took Adian to the library to get him a book. It gave him something to do while Keiko packed their things. "Are we going somewhere, Mommy?"

"I thought it would be nice to see Japan. The cherry blossoms are in bloom and I hear it's a spectacular site. You can see where Grandma grew up!"

"Japan? Wow, that's on the other side of the earth! When are we leaving?"

"Tomorrow morning."

"You should have told me we were going to Japan! I would have got a book about it while we were at the library!" Keiko laughed and let Adian help her pack. They met Lawliet for lunch and had a great day. Keiko couldn't remember a time when she had felt so happy.

Now, it was time to put Adian to bed. He finished his chocolate milk and brushed his teeth. He and Keiko took turns reading bedtime stories and listened to it rain. "Listen, Mommy! It's raining outside!"

"That's right, Adian. Doesn't it sound peaceful? You'll sleep well tonight."

"Maybe I'll dream about the rain people!" Adian smiled and cuddled his panda.

"I bet you will! Goodnight, baby. I love you."

"Love you too, Mommy!"

Keiko checked around the house to make sure she wasn't forgetting anything important. The storm outside was picking up, so she decided to look for a flashlight in case the power went out. She would have never guessed _why_ it was raining as hard as it was. About 15 minutes into the storm, the front door flew open. Keiko looked in horror as she saw her husband enter, completely enraged. "You fucking bitch! How long did you think you could hide him from me?"

Keiko couldn't bring herself to speak. She backed up against the wall in fear. He was screaming at the top of his lungs. "Wake that kid up now! We're going to the church!" He grabbed her by the shoulder and forced her down the hallway to Aiden's room. He kicked in the door and shoved Keiko in. "Get him to the car, now!"

"No! He's not going anywhere! Leave him out of this!"

He came up from behind her with a switchblade and stuck it to her throat. "You're gonna get that kid out of bed or I'll slice both of your throats open!"

Keiko felt him press the blade into her throat. It was just enough to break the top layer of skin. He withdrew the blade and shoved her forward. She scurried onto Adian's bed and held him in her arms to protect him. Adian was awake and scared. He buried his head into his mother's chest. Keiko held Adian close to her as her husband led her to the car and made her get in. She knew she wasn't strong enough to overpower him, and she knew that he carried a revolver, so she tried to use reasoning to calm him down as he drove. Unfortunately for her, he was far beyond reasoning.

"Mommy, I'm still tired. Where is daddy taking us? I want to go back to bed!" Adian sounded very scared.

"It'll be okay, baby. Daddy's just a little angry right now."

"Mommy, why are you crying?"

"Baby, I…"

"Shut up! I don't want to hear another word!" Her husband's voice sounded demonic to her. Their car pulled into the empty parking lot of the local cathedral. It was the same one they had married in. He got out of the car and went to the trunk. Keiko saw it as her chance to get away. She quickly pushed open the car door and bolted out with Adian. The parking lot wasn't paved, so the rain had turned the ground into mud. She made it only a few feet before her husband grabbed her, knocking both of them into the mud. She pushed Adian forward. "Adian, run! Run as fast as you can and don't look back, Baby!"

Adian ran as fast as he could. He had a much easier time getting through the mud than his mother had. He managed to make it to the woods before stopping. He darted into some bushes and watched in terror as the man who was supposed to be his father drug his screaming and kicking mother into the cathedral. He had been told to keep running and not to look back; but he couldn't just leave his mother behind. Inside the cathedral, Keiko was dragged down the aisle and thrown in front of the alter.

"You fucking whore! Get down on your fucking knees and ask him for forgiveness!" He forced Keiko to her knees and held her there.

"No! God, please don't do this! God, help me!" Keiko was hysterical. She had seen what he pulled out of the trunk, and she knew she wouldn't leave the cathedral alive. She was grateful that Adian had managed to escape.

"God isn't going to help you, Keiko! You broke your promises to him and you're now hell bound! I'm going to deliver you to your new father!"

"No! Don't hurt Mommy!" Adian came out of nowhere and tried to pry the machete blade out of his _daddy's_ hand. He was so small at three years old, his efforts were futile.

"Shut the fuck up you little bastard! You're not even mine!" Adian was thrown backward several feet with force. He landed on his leg wrong and wailed on pain. He couldn't move it.

"Adian!" Keiko tried to crawl to him, but her husband kicked her back and grabbed her by her hair.

The Father of the church had been in his office close by. He heard the commotion and told one of his church attendants to ring the bell. "The police station is only two blocks away. If they hear the bell ringing at this hour, they'll know something is wrong! They take forever to pick up the phone!" As his attendant rushed out of the room, he phoned the authorities long enough to tell them there was trouble in the cathedral.

Back in the main part of the cathedral, Keiko helplessly tried to reach out to her son. Adian tried to get up to go to her, but he couldn't stand. Adian looked at his mother with tear filled eyes. "I'm sorry, Mommy," he said it through a series of sobs, "I can't protect you! Daddy's too strong!"

The Father suddenly barged through the side doors. "What's going on here? What is the meaning of this?" He saw a crazed man staring him down.

The man's voice was cold and callous. "Father, I was really hoping we wouldn't run into you. I can't let you interfere with God's will." He removed his revolver from the holster on his belt and shot the Father of the church three times in the chest.

Keiko saw a last opportunity and tried to grab the gun, but her husband threw it to the other side of the room so she couldn't get to it and put her into a choke hold. "Don't worry Keiko. I'll make sure your bastard son doesn't suffer as much as you're about to. The two of you are about to join that sorry son of a bitch you've been sleeping with in a shallow grave!"

He looked up briefly as he heard the bell start ringing. He had to work fast. Raising his machete, he sliced open the flesh of Keiko's back. Keiko screamed in agony as Adian helplessly watched.

"Stop it! She's bleeding! No! You're hurting her! Mommy!" Adian's tears could not be counted. He tried with all his might to crawl to his mother. Finally, he found the strength to drag himself to her. Just as he reached her and looked into her eyes, the blade landed and made its fatal wound. Keiko had taken Adian's hand into hers and given it a final squeeze. She died right there looking into her son's dark and tear filled eyes, knowing that he was about to suffer the same fate.

"Mommy?" Adian shook her to get a reaction. All he could hear was the constant ringing of the bell. "Mommy? Mommy! No!" He threw his arms around Keiko and buried his head in her chest. He was crying so hard, he couldn't catch a breath. Adian looked up at the man who had just killed his mother with hurt and anger fueling him. "I hate you! I hate you! I want you to die!" He mustered up the last of his strength and lunged at the man he knew as _Daddy_, pounding his tiny little fists into him as hard as he could.

The man looked down at him and smirked. "I'm sending you back the fuck where you came from!" He shoved Adian off of him. As soon as Adian hit the floor, he felt the sharp pain stab through his chest. He went into instant shock. The only thing he could hear was the constant ringing of the bell. It echoed through his ears. He started coughing up blood. Everything was getting blurry. Adian saw a hallucination standing above him. It looked like the outline of a woman looking down at him. Adian lifted his hand. _'No…Mommy… it's… so cold…'_ Adian's hand dropped and all went black.

**I only proofed this once, so I hope I didn't skip over too many mistakes. I'm going to go back and proof again to make sure. So now it's confirmed, L is/was Adian. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I know it might have felt as if you were reading a different story and it went by kind of fast, but it was a necessary chapter to write so the full story can fall into place! Thanks so much for reading!**


	20. Goodbye

**I do not own Death Note!**

**A/N: I feel like I rushed through this, but I just had to get a chapter published to celebrate L's birthday! Happy Birthday, L! ^_^ **

It was early in the evening and the storm had not subsided. Raine sat next to a window in L's hospital room and watched the wind violently blow the rain against the glass. L was still awake, but he hadn't said a word since he had finished his story. Though he had no knowledge or memory of Lawliet and very little of his mother, his nightmare vividly replayed the events that took place at the cathedral.

He didn't even have any memories of his stuffed bear before he was found in the alley. To L, Adian's entire life came and went in the cathedral. Raine wanted to cry as she ran his story back through her head over and over again and compared it to her own dreams. L's nightmare wasn't really a dream at all. It was a memory.

Her thoughts were interrupted when the doctor walked in. "Hello, Mr. Melton. I'm Dr. Julian." It always sounded so strange to Raine whenever she heard a new alias. "How are you feeling?"

L didn't answer right away. He looked up at the ceiling in silence. The doctor had opened his mouth to say something else when L finally decided to acknowledge him. "I have headache, which is due to a head injury. And my face feels like it made contact with someone's fist, which is probably because it did. Everything has been explained; now if we're finished here, I would very much like to leave."

"Mr. Melton, I'm afraid you can't do that. You've suffered a grade 2 concussion. You'll have to stay here for a night for observation."

L looked annoyed. "Can my day get any more inconvenient?"

"It's your own fault." Raine mumbled it to herself; still staring out the window. The doctor talked a little more and paged the nurse to bring a pain reliever before leaving.

L glared at Raine. Apparently, he had heard her mumble. "Why are you still here?"

"I'm waiting for the storm to clear before I leave. Maybe I should just wait in the lobby."

"Perhaps you should."

"Fine." She got up and headed for the door. But L wasn't finished.

"Your fiancé… he's the source of the voice you heard in New Orleans?

Raine had almost forgotten about what she told had L. In a moment of anger, she had claimed Onasisk was her lover. She failed to include the word '_former'_. "Yes, he was the voice in Sydney as well."

"So you've known about him all this time, yet you still tried to make me believe that you wanted to be with me and even had a sexual encounter with me."

Raine didn't feel like dealing with it. She had endured enough drama for one day. "Yeah, sure; whatever you say. Have a nice life, Ryuzaki. Thanks for everything."

"Raine…"

She turned around to see him looking at her with sorrowful eyes. They told Raine that he was pleading with her not to leave. His words, however, told her something completely different. He broke the stare and looked away. "Please close the door on your way out."

Raine's eyes narrowed at him. "Goodbye, Adian." As soon as the name left her lips, she was out the door. L felt sick to his stomach again, but he kept telling himself that letting her go was for the best.

* * *

Down in the lobby, Raine sat in a waiting chair and waited for Watari, who had left to pick up a bite to eat for everyone since the wait in ER had been so long. The plan was for Watari to drive her back to the Wammy estate to gather a few of her things and then he would drive her to her new living quarters that Wammy's House had arranged for her. The orphanage apparently treated their professors well. They provided free room and board, which was her own private condo. Though Raine was very hurt about things not working out with L, she found a little comfort in her eagerness to work.

She kicked her legs up over one arm of the chair and rested her back on the other. She was strongly considering taking a small nap, but she noticed something from the corner of her eye. Someone was standing outside in the rain. Raine thought it could be Watari, but then she turned her head to get a full view out of the glass doors. A frown formed on her face when she saw it was Onasisk. She bolted up from her seat and stormed out the front door; into the pouring rain.

Onasisk spoke the second she was in close enough range to hear him. "Akaia, I know you're not going to believe this; but I'm not responsible for your lover's recent memory loss."

"That _is _a little hard to believe! You'd do anything to tear me and L apart!" She clinched her fists together and glared at him.

"You're wrong. Besides, it isn't that bad. You'll still be taken care of. He's too in love with you to just throw you to the vultures. I've watched him. I've seen inside his dreams. You'll be under that man's protection for as long as his body still has lifespan. The rest of your human life will be very comfortable."

Onasisk wasn't sure if she had even heard him. She was giving him a death glare. Raine spoke through her teeth. A strong gust of wind blew her hair wildly in her face. "Tell me again that you're _not_ responsible for this."

"I told you. I didn't do anything. You know, I think I'll just come back when you're in a better mood." With that, Onasisk disappeared.

Raine lunged forward and screamed. "No! You get back here and defend yourself if you didn't do anything! You sorry, dirt dwelling shit!"

"My, what a filthy mouth for such a pretty young lady!"

Raine spun around to see a middle aged man standing in the door frame to the main entrance. She suddenly tensed up. '_Did he just see all of that?'_ They studied each other for a moment before anything else was said. Raine saw that he was wearing a security uniform and tensed up even more. "I'm sorry, Sir. Someone was bothering me, but… he's gone now."

"I didn't see anyone out here but you."

"W-well h-he was hiding while I was talking to him."

"Oh? What was he hiding behind?"

Raine looked around franticly at her surroundings; trying to find something within an ears range that someone could hide behind. There were no bushes or trees around. Her eyes stopped at the nearby parking lot. It had enough cars parked in it to use as a valid hiding place. "He was in the parking lot. I don't know where he is now, because he took off. I thought I was the one who had scared him off, but I guess that was just wishful thinking. He probably ran because he saw you."

The guard flashed his light across the parking lot. "Well, there _has_ been a recent problem with young women around your age getting abducted in this area. It really isn't safe for you to be out here. Why don't you come back in out of the rain?"

With a half frustrated and half relieved sigh, Raine went back inside. She pulled her yo-yo out of her cargo pants pocket to give her something to do. She tried to calm herself with a few complicated tricks that she had already mastered; and then she attempted the tricks she had been working on right before she broke Watari's vase. Every try was a fail. She clenched her teeth in frustration and handled the yo-yo as if she were ready to break it. It wasn't so much the fact that she couldn't do the tricks; it was a buildup of L banishing her from his life for something she didn't do and Onasisk not explaining himself that angered her. She would have given anything at that moment if she could have been in a room full of glass displays with a baseball bat.

She felt the entire world was collapsing around her. Eventually, she slammed herself into one of the chairs in the waiting room and cried. It wasn't an unusual scene in the waiting room of the ER, so no one tried to comfort her. They were too concerned with their own loved ones. Eventually, she felt someone place a hand on her shoulder. She looked up to see Watari with a bag of take out Chinese food. "Miss Raine, is everything alright?"

She sobbed a few times before she spoke. "Everything is fine, Watari. I've just had a very stressful day."

"Indeed you have, child. Why don't you try and eat something. Maybe you'll feel a little better once you have something in your stomach." He handed her the bag of food and smiled.

"Thank you so much, Watari."

"I'm happy to help, my dear. I need to speak with Ryuzaki before we leave, but I shouldn't be any longer than 15 minutes. Would you like to eat in his room?"

"No. No, I'm sorry; but I really don't want to see him right now. I can't handle anymore of his accusations."

Watari frowned. "I understand. I apologize for his behavior."

"You don't need to apologize on his behalf, Watari. He and I have just grown tired of each other. It happens when you're stuck in someone's company day in and day out for almost a year." She knew those weren't the real circumstances behind her split with L, but she didn't feel like explaining it.

Watari nodded and walked away, leaving Raine to her meal. She didn't really have an appetite, but she didn't want Watari's trip to be a total waste. She considered leaving before Watari returned. She didn't see why it would be such a bad thing. L and Watari had helped her out more than enough already. Raine didn't want to be under their wing anymore- no, she didn't want the pain she was feeling to linger. If she stayed connected to either of them, she knew it would never fully subside. She took a bite of fried rice and stared at the door hard. _'All I have to do is get up and walk away. The wind never stops to look back.'_

_

* * *

_L rested quietly in his hospital bed and listened to the rain fall outside. The tranquil sound was the only thing that calmed his racing mind. He hardly noticed when Watari stepped in. All he really wanted was to be left alone. Watari quietly closed the door and spoke over L's rain. "Are you feeling any better now that the pain relievers have had time to take effect?"

"Honestly, I think I feel even worse. It only served to relieve one kind of pain." L's eyes stayed glued to the ceiling.

"I think you know whose fault that is."

L glared at the ceiling. "In fact, I do. Raine is responsible. She is the one that turned me into this love sick canine. She's the one who put me in this hospital bed. Good riddance to the greatest mistake I've ever made."

Watari frowned. "You don't mean that and you know it."

"Do I not? Then, I suppose these injuries were self inflicted. I wanted to see if I could maintain my deductive reasoning abilities with a concussion."

Watari actually raised his voice over L's sarcasm. "You arrested her under a false pretense, restrained her, and destroyed what she thought was her dearest possession right in front of her eyes. That falls under the classification of psychological torture… emotional abuse, L! She had every right to let you have it!"

"That blow to the head could have very well killed me."

Watari blinked a few times before looking down at the floor and sighing. "Whatever possessed you to do such a thing? You took the only piece of happiness you ever had and tossed her away like yesterdays garbage."

"I suppose she hasn't told you about her other lover."

Watari looked confused. "How on earth would Miss Raine find time for another lover? She seldom leaves our sight."

"He comes to her in her dreams."

Watari blinked again, and then started laughing. He couldn't help himself. "You find a man who only appears in dreams threatening? My dear boy, I don't believe I've ever heard something so stupid leave your mouth. The injury to your head must be pretty serious. Am I even speaking with the same person?"

L looked away in disgust and sulked. "I don't care to discuss this any further if you're going to laugh at me, Watari."

Watari choked back on his laughter. "I'm… sorry. I just didn't expect such a way of thinking from a genius."

L closed his eyes and placed his hand on his brow. "In an attempt to change the subject, I feel inclined to ask if Raine was satisfied with her condo. I haven't really been keeping track of time, but it doesn't seem as though you were gone that long."

"I only just now got back with the food. The roads are flooded. About the new arrangements you've made… I'm not happy with the fact that you increased the wages of all my employees without my consent. How am I supposed to explain that to the tax bureau?"

"Perhaps we can discuss it when I don't have a splitting headache. I apologize for acting without your consent. It wasn't my place. However, it _is_ my place to make sure Raine is taken care of."

"Is it really your place? Her other lover isn't capable of caring for her?" Watari smirked.

L sighed heavily in frustration. "Watari, will you please…" He stopped. His headache was obviously affecting his ability to think, but he suddenly thought of something he considered extremely important. "Raine… where is she now?"

"She's in the lobby eating dinner. I asked her if she wanted to eat in here, but she declined."

L quickly sat up in the bed and brought his knees to his chest. "You won't find her when you go back down there. She's left. I know she has."

Watari shrugged. "She sees no reason to stay. She thinks you hate her."

Instead of responding, L bolted out of bed and hurried to the lobby. Watari was grateful that L had changed out of his hospital gown soon after he was admitted. Otherwise, his backside would have been exposed to the entire floor.

The nurse stood up when L passed the nurses desk. "Mr. Melton, where are you go-…"

"I shall return shortly." He was on the elevator before she could reply.

By the time L reached the ER lobby, his head was throbbing and he was starting to feel dizzy. Though the pain medication was doing a lousy job of taking away his headache, it was doing a stupendous job of keeping him high. He massaged his brow to try and shake it off. He tried hard to focus as his eyes darted around the lobby. Raine was nowhere to be seen. L hurried to the double glass doors that led outside. He walked outside in the rain and franticly searched the darkness. There was nothing but more falling rain and darkness in the distance. _'She's not safe out here! They could have already taken her!' _He closed his eyes and concentrated on the feeling of the rain hitting his face. _'But, this is what I wanted... isn't it? I wanted her to go away. Now she's gone; but I…' _

* * *

Raine walked along the side of a deserted road alone. The roads were flooded, so there was very little traffic. The water came up past her ankles in places. She had no idea where she was going, nor did she really even care. Raine was sick of being who she was. She was ready to return to her place in the sky_. 'I'm sick of being Raine. My real name is Akaia.' _She stopped and looked up into the sky with her fists clenched; screaming at the falling rain. "My name is Akaia! Do you hear me, water sprite? I'm Akaia!"

She fell to the ground and started to cry again. Akaia Raine had never had a purpose; and now she had nowhere to go either. She noticed a sudden flash of light on the ground. It was an isolated light, like the beam from a flashlight. She quickly stood up and did a complete three-sixty turn to observe her surroundings. She had no idea where the light had come from_. 'Something isn't right. Maybe I'll be safer if I'm not out in the open like this.' _Raine walked into the patch of woods that lined the road and found a spot to rest behind a thick oak tree. She listened carefully to the sounds of the stormy night that surrounded her, resting her head against the trunk of the tree. She couldn't remember a time when she had felt so alone.

Raine suddenly heard something behind her. She bolted up and hid herself as well as she could behind the tree; trying to come up with an explanation for the sound. She replayed the sound over a few times in her mind and decided it was probably just a heavy branch that fell from a tree. Slowly, she looked around the tree; only to find nothing was there. Raine slightly smiled. _'I guess I was right. It was just a tree limb that the storm broke.' _

Her smile quickly faded when she felt a hand grab her shoulder. She spun around with a high kick, but whoever it was had already let go and was quickly backing away to safety. "It's becoming more and more obvious to me that you're a hazard to my health." Much to Raine's astonishment, it was L. He kept his distance in case she decided to try and strike him again.

Raine's mouth was hanging open in shock. "L… why the hell are you here? You're supposed to be recovering in the hospital! How did you find me all the way out here?"

"I'm a master at tracking people in a short amount of time." L opened an umbrella that he had brought with him and attempted to move close enough to hand it to her. He held it away from him just in case she was still in a violent mood.

Apparently, she was just that; because she knocked it out of his hand the moment he was close enough. 'I don't need you're damn umbrella! Look at me! I'm already drenched! If you want to be helpful, then why don't you make this damn storm stop!"

"…Akaia… while it's true that I am a very powerful man, I'm not powerful enough to control the weather."

"Oh, bullshit!" She was practically screaming at him. L had never seen this side of her before. It was almost frightening.

"I find your constant use of profanity very unattractive."

"Oh, is that right?" Raine glared at him and started blurting out every vulgar and obscene word she could think of.

L maintained his usual indifferent expression. He waited until the pauses between her words were long enough to interrupt. "Perhaps one day, you will find and fall in love with a worthy sailor."

In a burst of anger picked up a clump of mud from the ground and threw it at him. It landed right in the middle of his chest. L looked down at the new stain on his white shirt nonchalantly and then back at Raine. She had started crying again. "You bastard! You never had any faith in me, did you! You actually believe that I'm the sort of person that would poison you with a smile on my face! How did you honestly ever expect us to work if that's the highest you think of me?"

"Akaia, will you allow me to approach you, or do you intend on trying to kill me with the same moves that you and I once studied together as a way of bonding?"

"I don't care what you do. I only tried to kick you earlier because I didn't know who you were."

L took a few steps closure, but left a safe distance in between them. "It's much easier to have a conversation when we don't have to shout to hear each other. Wouldn't you agree?"

"Whatever." They were both completely drenched from the heavy rain. Raine could feel herself start to tremble from the cold air. She was starting to get past her anger, but she was still an emotional wreck. "Please make it stop raining. I'm cold." She sounded like a pitiful child.

L sighed heavily. "You're being ridiculous. Do you expect me to just wave my hand and magically make the rain stop?"

"You really have no idea what you are, do you?"

"I'm a human being that has no control over the weather." He walked over to his open umbrella and tried to shake some of the mud off of it before attempting to hand it to Raine again.

She accepted it this time; and moved close enough to L so that he could stay dry as well. "Don't get any ideas to try and touch me. I'm only doing this because I don't want you to get sick."

L looked at her and frowned. "I have no desire to touch you. I'm not comfortable with human contact."

"Back to that again, are we? Works for me! Why did you follow me out here? I'm not going back with you, so you can just forget it!"

"Where will you go then?"

"That's none of your concern!"

"But, it is my concern."

"Why? You and I are over! You told me to leave, and that's exactly what I'm doing! I shouldn't be required to live a life that you've conveniently arranged for me! I should be able to walk down my own road! What I do with my life is no longer your concern!"

L didn't immediately respond. He studied her face as if he were looking for a clue to an unsolved mystery. "You have nowhere to go. If I leave you here alone, you will only end up getting abducted."

"I really don't care anymore, L. I just want you to leave me alone!"

"I care."

"Will you just stop? You don't need to protect me anymore."

"I'm afraid I do."

Raine rolled her eyes. "Why?"

"I'm in love with you, unfortunately. It can't be helped."

"You're a sorry bastard, you know that? You're obviously lying or you wouldn't have said it in English."

L's dark eyes suddenly showed an emotion that Raine had yet to see. The world's greatest detective was actually on the verge of tears. He squinted and brought his fist to his mouth. He looked away long enough to shake off the alien feeling that had almost shown its ugly face. "Please don't call me a bastard anymore, Akaia. It's very hurtful."

"I'm… sorry. I shouldn't have called you a… sometimes I forget what a powerful word that is for you."

"I wasn't lying either. I really do love you. I wish I didn't, but I have no control over it. I shall profess it in every language I know if that is your wish."

Raine's eyes started to tear up again. "Why are you playing with my emotions like this? One minute you're being cold and cruel; the next you're trying to play Prince Charming!"

"I'm not…" L had to stuff his hands in his pockets as far as they would go so he wouldn't feel inclined to touch her. "…trying to play Prince Charming. You wanted me to explain why I felt the need to protect you and I gave you an honest answer. I'm not trying to win you back. I'd never be able to bring you long term happiness with the lifestyle I live; not to mention your fiancé would only keep interfering. I'm not interested in sharing you, especially if I'm sharing you with someone who is powerful enough to manipulate my memories."

"So you figured it out then? You've finally realized that I'm not the one who's responsible?"

L looked down at the mud. "Yes. I made… a mistake."

"A mistake… that must be really hard for you to accept- you being so perfect and everything. L doesn't make mistakes."

"L is not a god. He's a human being. Making mistakes is inevitable." He pulled something out of his pocket that looked like a handheld video game with a detonator switch on the side. L pressed the side button without even bothering to explain himself.

Raine tensed up, half expecting something to blow up. "W-what did you just do?"

"I gave Watari the coordinates to our location. He should be here shortly."

"I'm not going with you, L."

"I don't expect you to. The wind is a free element. Go where you will, but you'll never be alone." He handed her the device, holding it in his usual delicate way.

"I don't need you to protect me. Move on with your life."

"No."

"You've been obsessed with keeping me safe since the night you found me. It isn't because you're in love with me at all. It's because you couldn't protect _her_. You see me as your second chance. Why don't you just admit it?"

L started walking back toward the road. "I don't know what you're talking about. At any rate, I'm leaving. There's a homeless shelter roughly 14 miles east of here if you're interested. I'm sure if you start walking now, you will arrive by mid-afternoon. Good luck."

"F-f-fourteen miles?"

"Yes, and I suppose I'll have to keep your flute since you refuse to go with me to retrieve it. I can't imagine why you wouldn't bring it with you if this was your plan."

"But… I need that flute! I have to eat eventually and I have no other way of making money!"

"I'm afraid I can't help you. You're far too stubborn to accept my assistance." He never stopped walking away from her, though his pace was slow enough to keep her in hearing range.

"W-wait a minute! I might be stubborn, but I'm not stupid. Can I ride with you and get my flute?"

L stopped and smirked. "Well… I don't know. You refuse to even go and look at the condo that Watari's orphanage was kind enough to rent out for you. They paid three months rent in advance for a condo that will remain vacant the entire time. What a shame."

"Well, I… I mean… I…"

"Poor Watari was really counting on you to take that teaching position. The facility is already short staffed. If he can't find enough people to fill all of the teaching positions, then I suppose many of the children will have to go somewhere else to stay- somewhere that offers a lesser form of education. Oh well, it really isn't your problem."

"No, no! Just wait a minute! I didn't realize… I didn't know it would be such a problem if I didn't take the job! I'll do it! I'll do it for Watari!"

L was more than pleased with his strategy. Even though Raine was being stubborn and childish, he knew that her heart was too kind and compassionate to not fall for his bluff. He finally turned around to face her, trying to remain as indifferent as possible. "Watari will be very happy to learn that you've reconsidered."

"Then, I guess I really am going with you then."

"I suppose that would be the logical choice since you have no idea where your new home is. You don't have to worry about seeing me again after you've settled in. You have my word. However, should you ever need my assistance, please remember the device that I gave you."

"Yeah. Thanks." She wasn't sure what else she should say, so she left it at that and walked with him to the road. They both waited in silence for awhile. The storm was finally starting to calm. Raine decided she was more comfortable with some sort of conversation. "How's your head?"

"Not well."

"I'm… sorry."

"It's nothing you should concern yourself with. The pain relievers I was prescribed are quite strong." L never bothered to look at her.

"How did you manage to convince the doctors to let you leave the hospital?"

"Money is very useful to have when trying to get your way."

"Yeah, I guess it is. I sort of wish you wouldn't have done that, though."

"If you wouldn't have left, then I wouldn't have had to."

"Whatever."

"You're very different as Akaia. I imagine I shall mourn the loss of my beloved Raine for quite some time before I'm able to move on."

"I'm not really Akaia again until my memories are fully restored. Don't blame my change in attitude on my former personality."

"I believe I see headlights in the distance. Perhaps we should say our 'goodbyes' now so Watari doesn't have to listen to it."

"You're right. Goodbye."

"Goodbye."

And with that, not another word was spoken.

**A/N: This isn't the end!**

**For those of you who haven't seen it, my friend Yuuza from Deviant Art made a wonderful visual of L and Raine together! You have got to see it! I have it featured on my DA page, which you can find a link for on my profile. Thanks Yuuza!**

**Speaking of my DA profile. It's sort of turned into a little mini-shrine for this story. LOL. Since this is the biggest project I'm working on at the moment, I guess it makes sense. I'm still not done with my last writing commission (yeah, it's a long one), so the next chapter might be a week late or so. I'm going to try and get back to updating on a weekly basis as soon as the commission is finished. **

**Thanks to all for the reviews! As always, they keep me motivated! ^_^**


	21. Ants

**I Do NOT Own Death Note!**

**A/N: I'm so sorry for the delay! My last writing commission was a very long one! I'm not sure how the Thanksgiving holiday will effect my writing time, but I hope that I will be able to go back to weekly updates now that my commissions are on hold for now. There really aren't that many chapters left.**

**This chapter is mostly dialog, and there's a lot of mythology covered that pertains to my OCs. I hope I was able to keep it intersting enough. Happy reading! ^_^**

* * *

"Oh, crap! I forgot about the brownies!" Raine rushed out of her study room and into the kitchen. It had been a little over two weeks since she had started living in her new condo. She had been pleasantly surprised to see that it was fully furnished. The only possessions that she had contributed to her new home were the things that she had always traveled with; which was little more than a few outfits, toiletries, books and a few other small things. She had adjusted pretty well to living on her own. The only dilemma she seemed to face was the fact that she couldn't cook.

Initially, Raine had been very excited about having her own kitchen. She had never had to worry about preparing a meal when she was with L. They had always dined out or dialed room service. She was eager to see what sort of fancy meals she could come up with on her own. Unfortunately, every single meal thus far had turned out almost inedible. Noodles were about the only thing she couldn't screw up, so she had spent most of her evenings dining on Ramen. Now, she franticly opened the stove and reached for the brownie pan. She didn't realize she had forgotten the oven mitt until she felt the sharp pain all over her hand.

Raine jerked her hand back and said a few choice words that she had recently grown very fond of. She slipped the oven mitt on her undamaged hand and quickly removed the burning brownies from the oven. They didn't look anything like brownies. She ran cold water over her hand to ease the sting. All that work, and all she had to show for it were the dirty dishes, a burned hand, a kitchen full of smoke and a dish full of black-brick brownies. _'Damn! Oh well. Who the hell eats brownies this early in the morning anyway?'_

Raine felt a sudden wave of depression_. 'He does. He'll eat a brownie at any hour… day or night. I bet he wouldn't touch these awful looking things though.' _She suddenly felt like crying. Raine had tried her best to bury herself in her new job so she wouldn't have to think about him. It wasn't as easy as it sounded. Her new students were all hot headed teenage geniuses who enjoyed insulting her intelligence at every opportunity. All the self confidence she had once had in herself was slowly dwindling away.

She came home one day after a particularly stressful class with a vendetta against all geniuses. _'They think they're so damn perfect and superior! To hell with them all!' _The thought had only made L pop back into her mind. It was true that he was an arrogant genius, but he never made her feel like an idiot. L had even flattered her on the occasion by telling her what a great mind she had. It was probably a lie, of course; but she didn't care. It made her feel good to hear it; especially coming from him.

Raine stared at her burnt brownies and sulked_. 'Enough moping about that insane insomniac! Time to get ready for work!' _She dragged herself to her bedroom and started getting dressed. The silence of the condo was getting to her. Raine hated being alone all the time. She turned on her fan so she could hear the soothing noise it made. It was her favorite remedy for getting rid of the dead silence. She couldn't sleep during the night unless it was on. Before leaving, she put a few burnt brownies into a sandwich bag for lunch and opened a few windows so the place could air out. Raine's morning was starting out horribly.

Wammy House was only a couple blocks away from her condo. She didn't own a bike and she couldn't drive, so Raine walked back and forth to work every day. Raine looked more like a student walking to school than a teacher. She let her long brown ringlets of hair hang freely and she wore her chain bracelet without shame. Her white blouse was never tucked in and her black neck tie was tied to look like a teenage trend rather than a professional accessory. The black jacket she wore was wrinkled (though that wasn't the way she normally wore it). She wore a red plaid pleated skirt and knee high baggy socks, giving her the appearance of a slacker school girl in uniform. Raine violated every professional dress code, but she didn't care. Impressing people and following codes that seemed completely pointless was not on her priority list. Perhaps it was a result of hanging out with L for so long. Luckily for her, Wammy House didn't have a strict dress code.

Raine kept her burned hand in her jacket pocket, which had an ice pack stuffed in it. It was only a matter of time before the ice started melting and leaking through the bag. Again, she didn't care. Nothing seemed right in her life anymore. She couldn't shake the depression off, no matter how hard she tried. The cold and dreary day didn't help her mood in the least. _'Why the hell did Onasisk put me in this body? Why couldn't he let me wake up in spirit form? Now I'm alone and stuck here for who knows how many years until this body finally dies! This sucks!' _

She arrived at Wammy's house in a sour mood. The ice pack had already left a wet spot on her jacket and it was making its way to her blouse. She hated the way wet fabric felt. Raine walked to her classroom and dropped into the spinning chair at her desk. Her class didn't start for another twenty minutes, so she spun around in her chair a few times before laying back in it and closing her eyes. When she opened them again, students were walking in.

Most of Raine's students were between the ages of 13 and 15. She had originally hoped for a class of younger children. Younger kids were nicer and a lot more pleasant to be around. They had to be when compared to the group of teenage brats that she had to deal with everyday. They resented the fact that their teacher was so close to their own age, which could have been anywhere from 5 to 10 years apart. There was no reason to take someone so young seriously.

Once the bell chimed, Raine passed around the attendance sheet and greeted everyone in Japanese. She taught several different languages a day at the advanced level. Japanese was in the morning, followed by German, Thai, and Cantonese and French. She was a five for one deal for the Wammy House facility. "Good morning, everyone." Her voice was less than enthusiastic. Her hand was still throbbing. "Due to a minor accident this morning, I will not be writing anything on the board or overhead. Today, I will speak only in Japanese. It will be your assignment to translate my lecture into English. I'm sure you folks can keep up with me- being geniuses and all."

"That sounds like a lot of writing, piss eyes - too much for my delicate hands." The voice came from a teenage girl the back of the room. Raine sulked at her new name. All of the kids made fun of her eye color. She pondered the thought of investing in colored contacts. Raine decided to ignore the girl so she wouldn't say something she would later regret.

Another student sitting towards the back added to the girl's disapproval of the assignment. "Screw that! I could understand if we had computers or typewriters in front of us, but there's no way you can expect us to keep up with every single word you say if we have to translate everything with a pencil." He crunched on a chocolate bar and leaned back in his desk.

"Mello, if you don't want to do the assignment, then get out of my classroom. And please don't eat in here! It isn't fair to the rest of us that you're the only one who has chocolate." It was the first time she had ever mentioned it to him. She had spent the previous mornings eyeing the chocolate bars with hungry eyes. It was very distracting.

"Like it's my fault that no one else ever thinks to bring any." Mello took a huge bite to defy her.

"Mello, please…" Something caught Raine's attention and she stopped. A heavy sigh of frustration followed. "Matt! You need to put your video game away during class!" She could hear the sounds of it echoing in her ears. Even though Matt was one of the few students she could tolerate, she still wanted to snatch the game away from him and throw it out the window. The young man didn't even appear to hear her. He was too engrossed in his game (or at least he was pretending to be).

Raine put her good hand on her face. "Okay… I'm having a really bad day, so I'm just going to cut this class short. I'm going to tell a quick story in Japanese and I need you to write it down in English. I will repeat it in case you miss something. For homework tonight, I expect you to write the story in kanji form. Both the English translation as well as the Kanji are due tomorrow morning. You are free to leave once you have translated the paragraph. Are there any questions?"

She narrowed her eyes when she saw Mello waving his hand in the air like a hyper child. "Yes, Mello?"

"I don't have a question. I just wanted to say you can't expect us to comply with classroom standards when you don't even do it. Look at the way you dress! You don't look like a teacher! You look like one of us! You'll be a lot happier if you just let us do our own thing, lady."

"I agree." Matt actually felt inclined to speak, though he didn't look up from his game. "Just because I'm playing a game doesn't mean I'm not paying attention. I'm an expert at multi-tasking."

Raine didn't feel like arguing with the two boys. "Fine then. I'm won't knit-pick; but I still expect you to participate in class and do the assignments I give you."

"I'm fine with that." Mello shrugged and continued munching on his chocolate.

"Yeah, same here." Matt apparently only spoke if Mello spoke first. Raine thought of them as Batman and Robin. Mello was the hero and Matt was the sidekick.

Raine closed her eyes as if they were strained. "Okay, now that we have that out of the way, are there any questions regarding the assignment or the cultural lesson we went over yesterday?"

She answered a couple of questions about Japanese sentence structure before beginning her story in Japanese. "I'm an ant in a colony, but I cannot work. I cannot work, because I'm missing two legs on one side. The other ants want to kill me because I am no good to the rest of the colony. Upon learning of their plot to take my life, I muster up every ounce of strength I have and slowly crawl through the tunnels and up to the surface while the others attend to the queen and feed the young. I have escaped, but I am alone. Loneliness does not consume me now, for I am free. Alone is good. I am happy. I live for awhile, feeding off of earth worms and the carcasses of other insects that have died. I hide in the loose dirt at night. I am alone and I am free. One night as I sleep, I'm awakened by a sound. Could it be a brother or sister? Do they desire a friendly word? I come out of hiding to see who it is. Sure enough, it's a sister and she's staring at me. With my two front legs, I drag myself to her with a smile. She'll keep me company and we'll talk for awhile. To my dismay, she desires no words. She locks her jaws around my neck and drags me back to our home. I'm home now, but I'm paralyzed and dying. I'm the food my siblings will soon consume. You can try to run away from it by denying it, but loneliness will always find you in the end, and it will swallow you just has it has done me."

Raine had no idea what had possessed her to tell such a story. It was just something she had made up as she went along. It wasn't worth anything, but it was something for her students to translate and that's all that mattered. She repeated it once more before dismissing her morning class. Raine told the same story for every class that day in whatever language she happened to be teaching. Between each class, she would lay her head on her desk and nap. Her depression was filling her with the desire to sleep. Once she dismissed the final class, she walked home at a sluggish pace, appearing unapproachable to the people that passed by.

When Raine unlocked her door and walked in, she was startled to find someone sitting at her kitchen table. "L…" Raine wondered at first if she was hallucinating as she gawked at the wild haired young man who sat perched on a chair. His tired eyes met with hers and there was a silence that made it seem like time had stopped. Though she was still very upset with L, Raine was beyond happy to see him. Of course, there was no way she was going to let him know it. She didn't want to give him the satisfaction of knowing how much she missed him. It was her own brand of childishness. "How the hell did you get in here? I know I locked the door when I left." She made her voice sound as low and cold as she could.

"It was all too easy to enter. You left the windows open and your security system wasn't activated. I'm not pleased with that. You're practically inviting a predator to enter." L didn't tell her he had really entered with a key. He was technically her landlord, though she seemed to be unaware of it.

"I don't care if you like it or not! I had to air out my house because I burned something this morning! No one is going to break in here! The foul odor of burnt food will scare them away!"

"Yes, the odor is indeed unpleasant. I would recommend you turn on the exhaust fan when preparing a meal. That aside, you're too quick to dismiss the possibility of an unwanted entry. Are you not aware of the recent string of abductions in this area? "

Raine rolled her eyes. "You mean the case that you thought was too insignificant to take- the sex slave abductions that's being presented to the media as a possible serial killer on the loose?"

"Correct. Due to a change of heart, I've gathered the necessary evidence by means of Wedy and Aiber to infiltrate the heart of the operation."

"Well, good for you. I have nothing to worry about then. So, why are you here? I thought you said you wouldn't bother me anymore after I settled in."

L looked down at the floor and frowned. "There's still an unpacked bag of luggage in your living room; therefore you still haven't settled in completely."

Raine almost started laughing. "You've got to be kidding me!"

"I'll take my leave shortly; however, there's something very important I must discuss with you before doing so."

Raine grabbed a few of her burnt brownies and pulled out another chair from the table. "So, what's so important? Here, have a brownie." She slid the brick-like object over to L, who twitched his eye in return.

"I think I'll pass."

"Oh, come on! You can at least try it! You love brownies!" Raine knew the things were horrible, but she felt like giving L a hard time.

L picked up the brownie in his delicate manner and held it up in the air to examine it. He thumped at it a few times with his other hand and narrowed his eyes. "Please, don't make me."

Raine sighed. "Fine. That just leaves more for me to throw away." She attempted to take a bite of one herself, but her teeth just weren't breaking through. "I ended up throwing away the ones I took with me for lunch today. I tried to give them to the birds first, but they didn't seem too crazy about them."

"You can't expect to be a gourmet cook overnight. I've spoiled you with dining out and room service for the past year. You haven't had the chance to learn."

"Yeah, I guess you're right. I didn't realize how much I took for granted while I was with you and Watari until these past couple of weeks."

"Are you not happy? I could hire you a maid and a cook."

"No. It's not your place. You've done way more than enough already and you're an ex-boyfriend, but I appreciate the offer. If you must know, my salary is high enough that I can hire someone myself if I wanted too. A spoiled brat isn't very useful, though."

L raised his index finger to his lips. "Useful. You always seem to be stuck on that. Just because you're spoiled doesn't mean you _aren't_ useful. Even if you decide to never work another day in your life, you bring happiness to the people you come in contact with. That, of course, is assuming you're not having a really bad day. I would say that's a lot more than just useful."

Raine rubbed her forehead. "Why the pep-talk, L? Why do you always lie to me to make me feel better?"

"I do nothing of the sort."

"Don't feed me that BS. You used to tell me how beautiful my eyes were. That was a total lie."

"Why would I lie about your eyes?"

"I don't know. Pity?"

"I fail to see how my sincere compliments have apparently dashed your self-confidence."

"Don't even worry about it. Even if you do lie, you still mean well most of the time."

L thought for a minute. "Your students aren't being very nice to you. Am I correct?"

"They aren't too bad, but they don't really have a lot of respect for me. I guess that's understandable. I have the mentality of someone their own age, I'm not smart like they are and my eyes are the color of urine. Why would they take me seriously?"

"…"

"What? You don't have a genius reply?"

"In all truth, you're an idiot if you actually believe what you just said."

"Well, thank you for being honest for once."

L closed his eyes. "You're misunderstanding me. You only hear what you want to hear when you're upset."

Raine sank down into her chair. She knew he was right. "So… what was so important that you wanted to discuss?"

"As I mentioned earlier, I plan on shutting down a local black market operation. I've already placed several moles and the authorities are to make their move in approximately five days. I would very much prefer it if you stayed with Watari until things calm down."

"No."

L dug his nails into his leg. "Do not be so difficult. You fall into the high risk category of potential victims and need to be protected until this blows over. If you don't want to stay with Watari, then I will appoint Wedy as your temporary bodyguard. She'll have to stay with you for a couple of weeks."

"I'm not your responsibility anymore. I'm perfectly capable of protecting myself, so you can forget it."

"You're right. You're not my responsibility. But you _are_ the woman who has my heart; and I will protect you regardless of whether or not you want me to. I'm afraid you'll just have to accept it."

"That sounds so lame, L. A person such as yourself would never say something so lame and actually mean it. You wanna know what I think? I think the real reason you're keeping such a close eye on me is because you don't trust me with your true identity. It makes perfect sense."

His nails dug even deeper into his leg. "Yes, it does make sense; but that doesn't mean it's true."

"You made it abundantly clear a couple of weeks ago that you didn't trust me."

"I told you, I made a mistake. I jumped to conclusions because my emotions were out of control and I was dealing with something I didn't fully understand."

"Mistake or not, you still don't fully trust me or you would have never jumped to such a conclusion in the first place."

If L was getting frustrated, he didn't show it. "I didn't come here to argue with you. I'm trying to keep you safe. If you won't discuss this with me as a mature adult, then I will leave and send Watari over here to talk some sense into you." He met her eyes with a serious stare.

Raine finally backed down and accepted his motive. "So… if you're going to shut these people down in five days, then why would Wedy have to stay with me for two weeks?"

"Are you familiar with ants?"

"A-ants? Well… it's sort of funny you mention that. I made ants the main focus of all my classes today. What about ants?"

L smiled slightly at the irony. Strangely enough, it relaxed him. "If you disturb an ant hill, hundreds of ants will pour out of the tunnels in a crazed frenzy. Some will franticly try to move their eggs and rebuild the collapsed tunnels while the others scatter and look for the aggressor so that they may attack. Even if the queen is destroyed, the other ants will move on to build new colonies. I will be attacking an ant hill and I'm going straight for the queen. While I shut down the heart of the colony, the worker ants will first scatter and attack at random. They will then use their claimed victims as a means to form new colonies. In short, while I can shut down one powerful colony; I cannot stop the smaller new ones from forming. They're activity will be at its worse at the fall of the empire."

"So you want me to keep a low profile while the ants are scattering all over the place."

"Correct."

"And you want Wedy to stay with me?"

"Actually, I would prefer it if you stayed with me, but I'd only be pulling you away from your new life. I'll be in Los Angeles for a couple of days before returning here to deal with the ants."

"That sounds like an urgent trip if you're going before you finish your business here in the UK."

"It's something that needs to be done. I can't keep avoiding it." L appeared a little hesitant to continue. "I don't suppose you'd be interested in taking a small break from teaching to accompany me. You won't lose your job if you're on official business with L. All expenses are paid and you could have your own room… and a decent meal."

"I don't understand you sometimes."

"What is it exactly that you don't understand?"

"You don't want me in your life, yet here you are in my home asking me to go to LA with you."

"I didn't think you'd be interested. I took the liberty of contacting Wedy ahead of time in case you didn't want to stay with Watari or myself. You can expect her to arrive this evening. Do not open the door unless you're sure it's her. Also, please keep your doors and windows locked and use your security system. It was installed for a reason."

"Okay, L. You win. I've only met Wedy once. She seemed okay. It'll be nice to have a little company."

L stared at the table in silence for a minute or two. Raine wasn't sure if he was in deep thought or if he was just tired and out of it. It was then she remembered her manners. "Oh my gosh!" She hurried out of her chair. "I haven't even offered you anything to drink! I'm really sorry!" She put some water in a kettle and turned on the stove.

L didn't even seem to notice. He was still staring at the table as if in a totally different world. "May I ask you something?" Raine almost wondered if he was talking to her or the table.

"Sure. I guess." Raine prepared a tray with cups and sugar while she waited on him to say something. Another full minute passed before he finally asked his question.

"That night- the night you and I made love… was I a disappointment?"

"Y-you're asking me if you were bad in bed?" Raine knew she was blushing.

"I have no memory of it. One of the most important moments of my life is completely lost to me."

Raine suddenly felt bad for L. "That's right. You lost your virginity that night. That really is a tragedy to not have any memory of it."

L switched his language to Spanish. It was the signal that he was about to say something cheesy. "It wasn't the fact that I lost my virginity that made it such an important moment. It was the first time we opened up to each other completely and shared every part of ourselves. At least, I would hope I gave you my everything- not just my body, but my very soul (assuming I have one). It wasn't just the first time, but the last as well. That one memory means so much to me, yet I don't have it."

"L…" Raine sat back down for a moment while she waited on the kettle. "What happened between us – not just that night, but our entire day together- it was the most beautiful thing that could ever happen between two people. It breaks my heart that you don't remember any of it." She couldn't see his eyes. L had tilted his head down at an angle that allowed his wild hair to fall over them.

"Akaia… Raine…" He ran his known languages through his mind and picked Russian. "I'm not a man who likes to beg, but right now I'm begging you. Please, tell me about that day. Tell me every detail- everything we did, every feeling you felt. Please, give me a mental image that I can hold on to."

The kettle whistled and Raine jumped up to remove it from the hot eye. "L, you know you can still call me Raine. I like the name you gave me. I didn't like it the night we ended our relationship because I was upset. And I would be more than happy to fill in the blanks of your lost memory. You might think a lot of it sounds out of character for you, but I've honestly never seen you as happy as you were on that day."

L looked up briefly and smiled weakly at her before looking down at the table again. Raine felt a sudden urge to touch him- comfort him- but she resisted it. "So tell me, what was the last thing you remember before waking up in my bedroom?"

"I heard the vase crashing in the hallway."

"Wow! You really _did_ lose most of the day. Alright then, I'll start there. It might be a long story though. I hope you don't have any plans you need to take care of right away."

"I have nothing to do that can't wait."

"Okay then. It's a good thing I made tea." Raine told him all about the last happy day they had together, going into as much detail as she could. She turned several different shades of red when she got to the evening events, but still managed to describe each erotic scene as if it had been forever etched into her memory.

L stared at the table the entire time; biting on his thumbnail. He remained silent until she had finished. "You were happy… being with me. _We_ were happy. And I ruined it by showing you the monster that I am."

Raine sighed. "L, you're not a monster. You're just…"

L was standing up before she could finish. "I didn't know what else to do. You dodged all of the questions I asked for months. I tried to get around that, but when I started losing my memories…"

"You felt hurt and scared; so in your desperation, you resorted to using the method that's never failed you in the past when trying to get answers out of people. I understand that much." Raine saw L staring at the front door and knew he was growing more and more uncomfortable. She stood up and strolled over to him. "You look like you're ready to go."

"I don't want to overstay my welcome." He stuffed his hands in his pockets and glanced at the front door again.

"No. That's not what it is, but I'm not going to push the issue. Thanks for looking out for me. I promise I'll be careful and I won't go anywhere unless Wedy is with me. Have a safe trip to LA." Raine patted him on the shoulder. She almost leaned in to kiss him on the cheek out of habit, but caught herself and decided it wouldn't be a good idea since she had no idea how L would react to it.

L looked at her and smiled weakly. The smile disappeared almost as soon as it formed. "Goodbye, Raine. Thank you for the tea." He walked out the door feeling miserable. _'There's so much I still wanted to say to her, but… none of it matters anymore. My love for her alone isn't enough to redeem myself for what I've done.'_ Feeling even more alone than the day Watari left him at Wammy House, he walked away from Raine's condo; his mind too numb to think.

Raine rested on the couch, staring at the front door. Something inside of her hoped that L would come back, though she knew that wouldn't happen. Still, she couldn't bring herself to stop staring at the door. She was almost tempted to run after him. In the end, she settled for sinking back into the couch and crying. Though Raine had only just begun to adjust to her new life, she was already tired of it. It meant nothing to her without L.

"Why didn't you stop him from leaving? He would have stayed if you asked." The voice made Raine jump. Her sorrow turned to anger when she saw Onasisk sitting on the couch beside her.

"You always pick the worse times to show up!"

"No, I just pick the worse times to make myself known."

"You're such a jerk! I don't know how it's possible that I ever loved someone like you! Why did you take his memories? He didn't do anything to deserve that!"

"I promise you I had nothing to do with it. I was sleeping in the earth when it happened. Gukku is responsible. He did it out of boredom."

Raine felt her anger begin to lift a little bit, but _only_ a little bit. "Who the hell is this _Gukku_, anyway? What sort of elemental has the power to play with memories?"

"He isn't an elemental. He's a shinigami with a special ability."

Her eyebrow lifted in question. "A… shinigami…"

"Yes. They're only a step above imps. They have to steal human lifespan in order to exist. They aren't capable of absorbing it from other sources as we do."

"They're death spirits, then?"

"Low ranking death spirits. Reapers are the higher form."

"Okay. Is there any way you can tell Gukku to give L his memory back?"

"A shinigami will not do favors. They will not willingly give without expecting something in return unless they lose a bet. I'll have to beat him in gambling before I can make another request from him."

"Why are you even hanging out with such a creature? What business does an earth spirit have with a spirit of death?"

"Akaia… I'm a very sinful spirit. I've been exiled from the elemental worlds many times for very good reasons. Gukku is the kind of company that those who know me would expect me to have."

"…and yet, you and I were once engaged."

"You've always had a bit of a wild streak yourself, Akaia. You're free spirited and feisty, just like most air spirits. Following rules has never appealed to you. You're just not as devious, as I am -and your heart is kind and compassionate."

"Apparently I _am_ devious. I mean, I got engaged to my rebel cousin."

"_Distant_ cousin. We're so many times removed, I've lost count. I'm 6 centuries older than you are. It isn't like we share the exact same grandparents. The only reason I even bothered to introduce myself as your cousin was because I didn't know how you would react to meeting a lover you couldn't remember."

"So, not only are you my deviant cousin, but you're also old enough to be my great, great (several more _great_) grandfather's father! That just makes it worse!"

Onasisk was getting very annoyed. "Will you stop thinking in terms of human taboos? Living creatures and spirits are two totally different things! Our blood relations only make a difference if we're in living bodies and our age makes _no_ difference! Adian is still an infant spirit and you're over a century old! Does that make you a pedophile?" He threw his hands up in the air in frustration. "I wish Gukku would get here already and give you your memory back. Perhaps then you won't be such a clueless idiot like most of the other humans!"

Raine's mouth dropped open at his insult. Onasisk was always full of surprises. He could be calm and wise one minute; crude and childish the next. He closed his eyes and rubbed his forehead. "Don't look so shocked, Akaia. You and I used to get into little name calling matches all the time."

Raine sighed heavily and bit down on her bottom lip. "Onasisk, all insults aside; is L really the one that made it rain that day?"

"He is."

"Is… he aware of it?"

"No. He can't make it rain at will. He doesn't even know what he is. When he feels an emotion he can't handle- such as fear or despair- he uses his ability without even realizing it."

"And… that takes away his lifespan?"

"Yes, but there's no need for you to concern yourself with that. His power isn't strong enough to consume a dangerous amount. He is still just a baby, after all. His abilities won't fully develop until long after he's left his original human body."

"But… it was such a horrible storm."

"Yes, but it covered a very small radius; and the other rain spirits kept the storm going. Rain spirits work together. Adian (or 'L' as you call him) simply summons the other rain spirits instead of creating and maintaining a storm all on his own, which is why he doesn't lose much lifespan."

Raine thought for a moment. She needed to change the subject for awhile so she could give her emotions time to recoup. "You said you need lifespan to exist, right? But you aren't amongst the living. How…"

"A living creature is born with stored lifespan that slowly leaks away over time through what most people call an aura. Humans and animals lack the ability to absorb more. A spirit maintains its existence by continuing to absorb and recycle lifespan. That is why I will soon no longer exist. I can no longer absorb. I'm no different than a shinigami now, except I don't have any means of stealing lifespan as they do. Once the lifespan I already had stored away runs out, I will enter nu, or nothingness."

"So, how is it that a spirit continues to exist after death if all of their lifespan disappears when their human body dies?"

Onasisk put both hands over his face and grunted in frustration. He didn't like playing teacher. "Akaia, if I explain how all of these things work, then we'll be here until dawn! All I can tell you is that when an elemental that is living as a human dies, it must use its very last ounce of its lifespan to escape its human body. Once it escapes, it is very weak and venerable; but it will begin absorbing almost immediately. When you leave your body, you will sleep in your own realm until you've absorbed enough lifespan to fully recover. It's a very dangerous time for an elemental. Some of us never regain our self awareness and, in essence, meet our permanent death. In fact, it's believed to be the fate of Adian's father. His last human death was so sudden and traumatic, there's a very good chance he didn't have enough fight left in him to escape his body in time so that he could start absorbing more lifespan. He hasn't been seen since the night of his murder."

"He really hasn't been seen since? Then… that means L will never have a chance to know him." Raine wanted to start crying again. It seemed that life had been so cruel to L. It never seemed to cut him a break. Again, she tried to jump to another subject. "Are we all born into the world as humans, Onasisk?"

"For the most part, yes. You were born a human, in fact. Your original body died at a rather young age of tuberculosis. You were so pissed that your human life had been cut short. That's one of the reasons I made a new body for you. You'll remember a lot of this when Gukku restores your memories."

"Why is it so important that my memories be restored now? What good will knowledge of my past life do me?"

"You need your memories if you wish to help Adian. He needs to learn to control his abilities or eventually, his lifespan will be significantly shorter. It adds up over time."

"Understood. Let's do this then. Where is Gukku? I want to get this over with."

"I felt him make his entrance only a moment ago. He's hiding. I've been telling him to keep himself hidden until I've had the chance to warn you about his… appearance. Unlike most humans, a fully developed elemental can see shinigamis naturally. I don't want him to scare you to death."

Onasisk held up his hand and made a gesture as Raine laughed slightly. "Oh, he can't be that ba…" Raine froze as she saw the monstrous shinigami fly through the ceiling and into her living room. She sat there in silence and gawked at the cattle skulled figure. No matter how hard she tried to speak, she just couldn't find any words. "Ahh…ahh… I-ahh… oh." Her face was fully animated with awkward expressions.

Gukku laughed. "Yeah, nice to meet you too, princess. I'm going to touch your head so I can make this quick; so try not to wet yourself."

Raine's first thought was to jump back. She was thinking of a reaper's power. She didn't want a death touch. Raine looked at Onasisk nervously. He gave her an assuring nod. "Okay, Gukku. Go ahead."

"Ya know, if I were to give you back _all_ of your memories -an entire century's worth- your human brain would go into overload and you'd probably start having seizures. Doesn't _that _sound like a show?"

"Stop scaring her! No one needs to remember every single day of life! The human mind has a short term memory to protect itself from such an overload. It will automatically filter out the memories that are insignificant!" Onasisk was stern.

"Whatever! I've already missed the imp races! Let's just get this over with already!"

Raine suddenly had an idea. "No, wait! If you're doing this to settle a debt with Onasisk, then…" Raine's voice trailed off. She thought for a few seconds before continuing. "Onasisk, instead of using this debt to restore my memory, can it be used instead to give L back the memories he's lost? I'm sure I can help him control his powers without my own memories."

Onasisk made a face. "Akaia, we're talking about a day's worth of stupid puppy love. He'll get over it. Remember what it is you need to help him with! You'll need your memories to do it. Then you two can kiss and make up and live fulfilling human lives; which is something you didn't have the chance to do in your first body."

Without giving anyone else a chance to speak, Gukku's boney hand rested itself on Raine's head. Raine screamed. Everything in her mind was spinning around like a whirlwind. As though someone had opened a floodgate, a whole river of memories entered her mind all at once. It was such an overwhelming feeling, she felt nauseous. Gukku removed his hand after a minute or two and flew off without a word. Raine was swaying back and forth; holding her head as though she were feeling the world's most painful migraine.

"Akaia?" Onasisk tried to put his hand on her shoulder, but it went right through. He waited on her to respond. When she finally turned to face him, her face was covered in tears. "My God, Onasisk! I remember everything! L is… L _really_ is that little boy! I held him in my arms when he was just a toddler!" Raine fell to the ground and sobbed.

Onasisk felt helpless that he couldn't touch her. He wasn't sure how to console her. He kneeled down and studied her. "Are you not happy with your memories?"

Raine looked up at her former lover (which she now had almost full memory of). Her face told a very sad story. "Everything was so carefree for me until… that night."

* * *

**I haven't had the chance to thank everyone individually, but a big thank you to all who have taken the time to review! It really means a lot to me! See you next chapter!**


	22. Brother Beyond

**I do not own Death Note!**

**A/N: Hey, I actually updated without a long wait! I knew things would go faster now that I finished my literature commissions! ^_^ This is a very short chapter and it's mostly nothing but dialog, but here it is.**

**

* * *

**

"Beyond Birthday. Block 19. You have a visitor. Please report to the visiting area immediately." The intercom rang throughout the prison grounds. B wasn't sure he had heard the announcement right. He only had 42% of his hearing left in one ear, after all. He never received visitors. He confirmed the announcement by asking another inmate sharing his cell. With an almost overwhelming sense of curiosity, he put down the manga he was reading and headed to the north building. He went through all the formalities of security checks and finally received his clearance to enter the visitor's room. When B saw who was waiting on him, he froze.

There was an eerie silence filling the small room as B and his visitor locked eyes. After what seemed like hours, B finally broke the silence. "You have a lot of nerve showing up here in person. I suppose now I'll never feel inclined to call you a coward again." He slowly took a seat at the table across from his surprise visitor and smirked with his reconstructed lips. "So… to what do I owe this honor?"

Across the table sat none other than L himself. He studied B very intently. Beyond Birthday no longer sported the appearance of a psycho obsessive L fan. His face had been rebuilt through several surgeries, but it had the appearance of wax. L could picture someone pressing their fingers into B's face and reshaping it like clay. He wore a wig of shoulder length black hair, though it was a lot silkier and smoother in appearance than his hair had been when he posed as Ryuzaki. L's eyes widened a little in surprise when he saw B blink. "You have eyelids."

An insane laughter erupted from B. "Now, that's a surprise! It truly is! I finally meet with the man-the legend- himself; and the first words that leave his genius mouth are '_you have eyelids.' _Thanks for pointing out the obvious!" More hysterical laughter followed.

L was a little taken aback, though he managed to maintain an indifferent expression. No one had ever laughed at him for saying something stupid before. "I see nothing funny about the statement. I'm merely a little surprised that the surgeons were able to reconstruct your eyelids. In fact, I was expecting you to appear a lot worse."

B's insane cackling finally stopped. "There have been several breakthroughs in plastic surgery this past year. Thanks to Watari's continuous funding, I'm at the top of the list whenever the surgeons are in need of a lab rat. One wouldn't think that eye lids were so vital to have, but I can honestly say that of all the things that melted off of me, I missed those the most."

L briefly tried to imagine what it would be like without eyelids. "I see. How many surgeries have you had so far?"

"Not many at all - eight, to be exact. They gave me eye lids during the seventh surgery. I'm scheduled for another next month. They plan to work on my nose and lips again."

There was another long awkward silence. L and Beyond Birthday appeared as though they were in the middle of a staring contest. L noticed that B no longer tried to sit like him. He was sitting normally in his chair, slightly slouched over. _'The muscles in his legs must have sustained quite a bit of damage. It appeared as though it took everything he had just to walk in here and sit down.'_ He noticed B's stare slowly shift. He was no longer looking at L directly in the eyes, but rather just above the head. A small hint of laughter escaped B, as if he was trying to hold it back. L had no idea what to think. "Do you find something amusing?"

B's urge to laugh left him. "You really _are_ a unique individual, aren't you? I've never seen anything like it."

L's eyes narrowed in slight annoyance. "You can't possibly find my appearance amusing. You had enough years of dressing and acting as my copy to get past the joke."

"No, no, no, genius. I'm referring to your name. Or should I say _names_."

"Yes, I have many aliases. I still fail to see how that's humorous."

"I know… if you tell me why you're here; then maybe I'll let you in on the joke."

"Very well, then. I'm here before you today because I am the one who lit the match."

There was more silence between the two men. After awhile, B started tapping his finger slowly on the table. It didn't create much of a noise because he had gloves on to cover up his charred skin. An insane grin suddenly formed on his scarred face, followed by more laughter. He stopped laughing almost as quickly as he had started. "No, no. You didn't light the match. I did that. Do you want to know what you did?" B clenched his teeth and made a weak fist; though his voice remained calm and monotone. It was the craziest mood swing L had ever witnessed. "You poured the gasoline."

L's eyes twitched a little. "Are you aware that I had cameras placed in that room? I witnessed the entire thing."

More silence. L wanted to read B's expression, but his face was so scarred; his expressions were very limited. Just when L felt the urge to start fidgeting, B finally said something. "I do so miss strawberry jam. Not the generic garbage they give me here, but the fresh strawberry preserves."

"B… you didn't answer my question. Did you know about the cameras?"

B leaned back in his chair and let his arms fall to his side. His eyes focused on the ceiling. "Maybe I did. Maybe I didn't. Is that why you're here? Because you're guilt stricken? You saw everything that happened in that room. You knew exactly what I was going to do and you did nothing to intervene. Do you want to know _why_ you didn't intervene?"

L opened his mouth to say something, but B cut him off before any words left. "You didn't intervene because you're a tame and pathetic little pussy cat. You intended on giving me my only wish; which was to die thinking I had outsmarted you. Anyone would see you as a heartless monster for making such a decision. I'm willing to bet that even you see yourself as a monster, but you're nothing of the sort. You wouldn't be sitting in front of me with that pathetic look of guilt right now if you were a true monster. No, you have a warm heart. You tried to show me compassion; however warped it was. You're weak!"

"Do you resent me for my decision?"

"Do I resent you? Of course, I do! I'll always resent you! Do I resent you for your decision? The answer is no." B plucked a piece of hard candy out of his pocket, holding it the same way L would. "I'd offer you a piece, but I'm not sure if I like you at the moment. I haven't made up my mind yet."

L watched quietly for a minute as B struggled to take the wrapper off. He hesitated, but decided it wouldn't hurt to ask. "Do you need assistance?"

"Don't insult me. Just because I can't unwrap this as fast as you would be able to doesn't mean I'm incapable of it." B stopped and smiled to himself. "The joke here is that I once held everything with great delicacy just because that's what you did. Now, I don't have a choice. It's very painful to bend what little of my fingers I have left." It took him another minute to unwrap the piece of candy. L had to lock his emotions away in his ice box; otherwise, he wasn't sure he could deal with what he was seeing.

"If you were in my shoes that night, would you have intervened?" L was trying hard to make sure the conversation stayed on track.

B looked at L thoughtfully as he sucked on his candy. "If I were _you_? Or if I were _me_ in _your_ situation?"

"Let's just try both."

"If I were you, I would do exactly what _you_ did because I would be you and not me. If I were myself, I would have apprehended the murderer and rubbed his face in the fact that he couldn't beat me. He would have lived the rest of his life in a prison knowing that he'd never have another chance to surpass me; and when his lifespan reached its end; he would die knowing that he had failed at accomplishing the goal that meant more to him than his own life. I would have bathed in every single day of his despair, until the very end. I'm not weak like you are. I know how to find fun in the suffering of others. It's the only real way I can deal with my own."

"How do you know I didn't give the order to arrest you after you were already in flames? Perhaps, I waited because I wanted to add the_ physical_ element of suffering to the equation and deepen your misery."

"I spent years being conditioned to be your successor. I became so obsessed with it; I literally tried to become you. Do you not think I know how your mind works after all of the effort I put into trying to assume your identity?"

"For what it's worth, your impression of me was quite impressive."

A quick mad cackle from B followed. L had to admit, for such a sad story, Beyond Birthday apparently still had a sense of humor all of his own. "It isn't often a copy looks even better than the original!"

L thought about B's last comment. "I believe I see now why you think I was the one who poured the gasoline."

B suddenly glared at L. His voice was low and serious. "What makes you so special? Is it because you're a genius? Is it because you're insane? No. I'm fifty times smarter than you are and I've reached a level of insanity that goes far beyond yours. Yet, you're still the special one. Why…why?"

"If you must know, I'm only special in the eyes of Wammy. The world itself despises me. And… you're not smarter than I am."

"I am!"

"No. No, I'm afraid you're not. Sorry."

B rose slightly from his chair. It looked like he about to lunge at L; but he didn't. He slowly settled back into his chair and closed his eyes. "You never run out of gasoline, do you? Too bad I'm out of matches."

L dug his nails into his leg with one hand and played with his lips with the other. "I realize that your experience at Wammy House dashed all hopes of you ever living a normal life. But, your twisted upbringing isn't what I'm here to discuss. That should be saved for a debate with Mr. Wammy, himself. I'm not the one who has poured the gasoline all of these years; but rather, I am the gasoline."

"Wammy pours the gasoline… which is you… and I light the match once I'm drenched in your filthy essence. Wammy isn't a bad man, though. Don't even try and convince me to blame this on him."

"You're right. He isn't a bad man, but he _is_ a human. One of the most important lessons he ever taught me was that the world is not painted in black and white. Though Wammy is a very good man, he has his shortcomings just like every other human being. He made a mistake, but that doesn't make him a bad man and that doesn't mean he doesn't care for you. You're just as much a son to him as I am. He told me that the very night you were arrested."

B wasn't replying. He was too deep in thought. L continued. "A successor was Wammy's idea. I've never liked it, but it is what it is. Wammy believes in allies. I believe in solitude. Allies are the pathway to betrayal."

"_Allies are the pathway to betrayal_. And that is what you tell yourself when you feel the urge to find a friend or a lover. Even if you did find love or friendship, your theory would always come back to haunt you and you'd end up in isolation again. You're a lost cause… no different than I am. You'll die alone."

L looked away. He started to think about Raine. "Yes, I suppose you're right. I will indeed die alone, just as I've lived."

"Aww. I think I pinched a nerve. You look like a lost little boy. Are you familiar with C.S. Lewis? There was something he wrote something that reminds me of you. It _goes… '__to love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything, and your heart will certainly be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact, you must give your heart to no one, not even to an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements; lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket- safe, dark, motionless, airless—it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable.'"_

L could feel himself sinking into depression_. 'That's right. That's exactly how I used to live. Then I met Raine and…' _L bit down hard on his thumb. _'It's just as B said. I stumbled upon love, but I couldn't get past the thing that I had turned myself into. Now, I'm alone again and the horrible thing that I did to her is… irredeemable.'_ Though it was very difficult, L found it in himself to push aside his thoughts and turned to meet B's eyes again. "I believe we're straying a little too far away from the original subject. We were originally discussing the LABB murders."

B was struggling with the wrapper of another piece of candy. "You seem to have so much influence with the authorities. Tell the warden to let me have a jar of strawberry jam. I just want one jar. I don't think I'm making an unreasonable request."

"I'm little more than an old friend from Wammy House. You can't expect them to listen to me. That aside, I'm curious to know why you keep avoiding the subject of the LABB murders."

"The LABB murders… what more is there to say. It's your guilt, not mine. All it is to me is the final loss."

"You aren't the only one who lost. The LABB murders defeated us both. We played with the same pawn, and that pawn made a move all on its own before either of us expected it." Once again there was a brief period of silence. L was staring at B's candy with puppy eyes. Security measures had prevented him from bringing any of his own. What he really wanted (even more than candy) was a piece of cake.

L's focus on the candy that B was so slowly unwrapping caught B's attention. "Now I know for a fact that I'm not giving you any. I actually have something that you don't; and you're on the verge of begging me for it." The more B thought about it, the more amusing he found it. He started laughing madly once again. It was such a deep and rough laugh. He wasn't sure why, but it made L think of death. B eventually stopped laughing and sat in another minute of silence, looking very pleased with himself. "Naomi Misora. The pawn. She really was a piece of work, wasn't she? I wasn't sure which fantasy I was fonder of- slowly torturing her to death, or screwing her. I had such a hard time deciding, I just combined the two into one big wet dream." Yet again, he laughed insanely.

"I appreciate the unnecessary information." L thought of his own fantasy of Naomi Misora- the one where they fought each other in a capoeira match and then ended up together because of her awe over his superior moves. It had been such a long time since he'd thought of it, L was surprised he even remembered. He bit his lip slightly before he continued. "There's no doubt that you and I both knew she was fully capable of putting the pieces together. The two of us together did little more than take a tarnished piece of silver and polish it. What neither of us anticipated was the short amount of time it would take her to complete the puzzle. She moved without either of us moving her. Despite our superior intelligence and our experience, we underestimated Naomi Misora. We both lost."

"You wanted me to die, didn't you?"

"In all honestly, no. I wanted you to make your own decision. Your life is yours to do with what you chose. If I had been in your position, I would have wanted to shorten my life and die thinking that I accomplished my goal in what little time I had lived rather than die much later knowing I had failed. In the end, death still waits for everyone. It's how we greet it that matters."

"You knew exactly what was going through my mind then. You understand the concept of life and the significance of dying. No one else would ever understand such a thing. No one would understand why you made the decision that you made." B did something much unexpected then. He reached in his pocket and pulled out another piece of candy. His eyes stayed locked on L's as he slid it slowly across the table. "I suppose both of us did lose. If Misora wouldn't have figured it out so quickly, you would have defeated me without any regrets and moved on, and I would have died a happy and proud man thinking that _I_ had defeated _you_. Instead, I now live with the open wound of knowing I failed and you live with the guilt of the scars that cover every inch of my body."

"Correct. However… though the reasons for our decisions may be justified in our eyes; it doesn't necessarily mean that they were the right decisions. Perhaps that is ultimately why things went so wrong."

"Naomi Misora went wrong. Do you want to know what I saw when she handcuffed me? I didn't see her at all. I saw you. I saw you looking down at me with a smirk on your face. I didn't think I was going to survive, so I felt the despair of knowing that not only had I failed, but that I was dying while my enemy stared me in the face. To die as your worst enemy looks down at you and smiles… there are no words in any language to describe how horrible that is. I, Beyond Birthday - the psychotic murderer who butchered three people - would never wish such a fate on anyone."

L stared at his knees. "I see. That does sound very unpleasant."

When he saw that L was starting to stare off in to space, B decided that the conversation was coming to a close. "Can I assume you've found what you were searching for by coming here? In a way, I really did defeat you. I am the case that you will never forget. I am the case that made you feel an emotion- one that affected you so strongly; you drowned in it for almost a year. And now you're here in front of me, searching for a way to let go of your guilt. You've never paid a personal visit to any criminal you've apprehended. Yes. I have defeated L…. and now I can die _knowing_ that instead of _thinking_ it. For that, my brother, I thank you."

L felt the weight of his guilt suddenly start to lift off of his shoulders, and it didn't stop when B added his final word on the subject. "Of course, if I ever get out of here; I'll probably track you down and kill you." When L only responded with a couple of blinks, B gave him one last mad cackle. "Hey, who knows… I _could_ be serious!"

L sighed quietly to himself and stood up to leave. "It was nice meeting you, Beyond Birthday. I thank you for your time."

"I never told you the joke." B sounded almost disappointed that L was about to leave.

L yawned and stretched before stuffing his hands in his pockets and tilting his head up towards the ceiling. "You're referring to the one about my names? You're right. You never shared the joke."

"You have two names. One of them lies behind the other like a transparent shadow. It's just barely visible, like it was once in deep bold print, but someone tried to erase it and write another one over it. As I said earlier, I've never seen anything like it. Now I'll have something to ponder in my future boredom."

L stared at him blankly. "How would you know such a thing?"

"I have eyes that see. I can see your real name as well as how much longer you have left to live. I'm not sure if I'm correct, but I believe only one name is connected to your actual lifespan. I'd give anything to know what your story is; however, I can tell by the way you're looking at me that you probably don't even know your story. Yes, you are a very interesting specimen."

L wanted to roll his eyes. He had heard about B's delusion that he could see the day that a person would die. He shrugged it off, though a part of him was almost tempted to ask if one of the names was _Adian_. L ran through his conversation with Beyond Birthday several times in his mind that night as he flew back to the UK. He felt that the chapter had finally closed. His boredom on the plane made him drowsy. Just before he closed his eyes, he smiled to himself. _'I didn't light the match.'_

_

* * *

_

**I hope B isn't too out of character. I really don't know. I've never written for him before and he's in a different situation and environment than he was in the novel. I tried. Sorry Raine wasn't in this one. She'll be back next chapter though! See you then! Thanks so much for the reviews! ^_^**


	23. Buried

**I DO NOT OWN DEATH NOTE!**

**A/N: I'm honestly not as happy with this chapter as I should be. I've had nothing but destractions this past week or so. I couldn't sit down and get my thoughts together long enough to map the chapter out like I normally do. Sorry if the quality has suffered. **

* * *

"I think I need a haircut." Raine ran a comb through her damp hair impatiently. "It just takes too long to comb through." It was a Monday morning and she was running behind. She had spent almost an entire weekend sleeping away her depression, leaving Wedy to sit around bored out of her mind. After a hot shower and a conditioning treatment that used up over a third of the bottle, Raine was wondering why she had never once thought about a haircut. _'It's so annoying when it gets caught in a car door!'_

After the long battle of combing her hair out, Raine tossed the comb on her dresser and stared in the mirror. _'I guess I need to put on my make-up now… screw it. I don't feel like painting myself today. It shouldn't be a requirement to look pretty for the rest of the world.' _She sighed heavily and walked out of her bedroom. Wedy was sitting at the kitchen table eating a bagel with cream cheese spread. "It sounded like you were talking to someone in there."

"Huh? Oh, I was talking to myself. I'm bad about that sometimes. I was just saying I needed a haircut. My hair is getting so long; it'll be down to my knees soon." Raine sat down across from Wedy and grabbed a bagel.

"Yeah, it is long. I don't know how you manage it! Why don't we have a girl's day out after all of your classes are over today and we'll stop by a hair salon? God knows, I can't bear to stay cooped up in this condo another day."

Raine thought about it for a minute. She hadn't had a day out since her stay in Vancouver. Japan was a rushed visit and the drama between her and L had prevented her from enjoying any time out in the UK. "Well, I really haven't had a lot of motivation in the past few weeks." Raine looked out the window and tried to smile. "What better way to give myself a good kick than to go out with a friend and do something nice for myself." She looked back at Wedy, still trying to smile. "It sounds like a great idea."

The walk to Wammy House was almost a quite one. Wedy would attempt small talk every now and then, but Raine stayed zoned out for the most part. She wanted to talk to L. She wanted to help him bring closure his nightmare. There was only one small dilemma that she was battling with. Raine wasn't really sure if her theory (about L keeping an eye on her because he didn't trust her) had any truth to it. L had said it didn't; but that didn't mean anything. L was a liar. There was no getting around it. It would be foolish to believe anything he said. A cloud of doubt was beginning to form over Raine's heart. The feeling was very similar to what L had felt in the weeks before. _'Will he keep me under surveillance for the rest of my life because he doesn't trust me with his secrets? What if that becomes too much work and he decides to do away with me all together?'_ The thought provoked an assortment of negative emotions that almost had her in tears.

Raine's thoughts were interrupted by Wedy as they continued to walk. "Can I seriously ask you something?"

"Well, sure." Raine was caught a little off guard. She was struggling to pull her mind back into reality.

"Is this the attitude you take with you to class every day - the offish, unapproachable and indifferent demeanor that I normally only see L display?"

Raine stopped in her tracks. "W-well I… do you really think I'm showing a bad attitude? I thought I was just acting normal."

"No, Hun. You're entire personality has taken a dive since the last time I saw you. When you were still with L, you were laid back and very pleasant to be around. You enjoyed life and you were happy to be alive. Now you're sort of coming across as an unapproachable bitch. You said none of your students respected you. Is this the same demeanor you always take to the classroom with you?"

Raine looked down and closed her eyes. "I'm not… acting any differently now than I've been since I started this job."

Wedy's comment about Raine having the same demeanor that L normally had struck a chord with her. _'I've picked up this attitude from L. I'm using it as a defense to deal with my emotions rather than walk around like a blubbering idiot.'_ It reminded her of the Black Rose killer- the girl in New Orleans who was so obsessed with her crush; she actually started picking up his mannerisms (which was one of the clues that had given her away). Raine remembered L walking her through the case while they were in Sydney. Could she really compare herself to a girl like that? She quickly dismissed the idea after she realized that she hadn't picked up his oral fixation and she didn't sit like him.

Wedy arched her eyebrow at Raine. "I'm willing to bet you anything that your students are giving you a hard time because of your attitude. I'm serious! Walk in there today thinking of the happiest memories you have and smile. I'm almost sure there'll be a huge difference."

Raine decided to take Wedy's advice and thought of the things that made her happy. She thought about what it felt like to move freely through the air as a wind spirit. She thought about some of the playful mischief that she and Onasisk had once gotten into. They were all very happy memories for her, but her happiest were with L. They had traveled the world together and grown so close in the process. The more she thought about all of those happy times with him, the better she felt. _'I've been dwelling on one bad event, when almost every day with him before that was absolutely wonderful. Even when we were arguing or annoying each other, there was still something there that couldn't be touched. Why do I doubt him all of a sudden? He wouldn't really hurt me to protect his identity. I know he wouldn't.'_

Though it was a little difficult at first, Raine walked into the classroom with a smile on her face. She tried to act as she normally would without all of the gloomy depression. "Good morning, everyone!" Instead of using her usual monotone _'I really don't want to be here' _greeting; she said it very cheerfully.

Her eye twitched when she started hearing random whispers. "She's like a different person…" "…she must have taken a happy pill…" "… I bet she got laid."

Raine suddenly felt obligated to explain herself. She plastered a pleasant smile on her face. "Please, forgive the way I've carried myself for the past week or so. I didn't mean to come off as unapproachable. I've had a little difficulty adjusting to this new job and my personal life has been the pits; but I'm starting to feel settled now."

There was a little more whispering followed by a respectful silence. Raine was a little surprised. Normally, it took her forever to get her students to quit talking amongst themselves. Now, they were all focusing their attention on her. Everyone, that is, except Mello. Wedy had followed Raine into the classroom, and she now had Mello's full and undivided attention. Raine took immediate notice and grinned. _'That's hilarious! Mello likes Wedy! If she were younger, they'd make one hell of a couple! They're definitely compatible!' _Raine suddenly found her mood taking a drastic turn. Mello- the kid who wanted everyone to think he was a bad ass- had completely lightened her mood without even realizing it. She then realized she had failed to explain Wedy's presence. "Everyone, this is Wedy. She's fluent in Japanese, English and Spanish and will be joining us for our lesson today."

Wedy gave a half nod to the class. Mello couldn't take it anymore. He had to say something. He stood up and leaned forward with urgency; his palms flat on the desk. "Please, please tell me you offer private tutoring lessons! One on one! My Japanese is really rusty! I have chocolate!"

Raine brought her hand to her mouth and turned to face the board. She was trying so hard to control her laughter, but it ended up defeating her. She suddenly exploded in laughter at Mello's comment to Wedy. Wedy looked amused as well, though she was a lot better at keeping her composure. "I think Miss Raine needs a moment."

Mello suddenly started blushing at his sudden outburst. He knew exactly what the joke was. "W-what the hell's so funny?" He sat back down and sulked when no one answered him. He glared at Raine and crossed his arms. "I want to know what kind of drug you started using over the weekend!"

Raine held off on starting her lecture until she had fully gained her composure. She cleared her throat to let everyone know she was about to begin. "Today, we're going to learn about Japan though video games." Matt suddenly perked up as she continued. "A majority of the video games and consoles on the market today are made in Japan. Normally, when these games are finally released outside of Japan, they have dubbed audio."

She grabbed a game cartridge that she had brought with her and held it up. "Today, however, your assignment will be to watch Matt play this video game (which is in Japanese), and write a summary of the basic plot and how the game is played in English. I've brought a cable so that Matt can hook his video hand held to the projector screen. This will be the only written assignment this week. Tomorrow, we'll be concentrating more on verbal conversations."

Raine wasn't sure how Matt would react. "Matt, I'm sorry to ask this of you, but if you insist on playing video games in class; then it's only fair that you play something that relates to the syllabus. I think it would be an interesting learning experience if the rest of the class could participate as well."

Matt looked like an excited little kid at the circus. He popped out the game he had in his hand-held and extended his hand for the one that Raine had. "I'm not going to argue with that!" He winked at Raine as he took the video game cartridge. Raine could picture Matt being very popular with the ladies- assuming he could put his video games down long enough to notice them. She noticed the tension she normally felt in the classroom was no longer there. Noticing the difference, she worked hard to maintain her pleasant demeanor during every class. Much to her surprise, not one person referred to her as '_piss eyes'_ that day.

* * *

L had apparently drifted off to sleep. He found himself standing in the same dark forest that he had dreamed of when he was recovering from his illness in New Orleans. He had to walk down the endless dirt path. If he stopped, he would be overwhelmed by his sorrow. He walked on without any thought or purpose for what seemed like ages. L wasn't crazy about this dream, but it was far better than the dream about the cathedral slayings. He walked on until a figure literally rose out of the ground; blocking his path. L had no choice but to stop; and as soon as he did, the sadness began to set in.

The figure that now stood before him was… "Raine?" She stood there in silence- slouched over and looking down at the ground. Her mess of long curly hair hung down in her face, making it impossible to see. She was wearing the same grey gown that she had worn the first time L had seen her in the field. It was almost transparent. The odd cut and style made it look, not like a ballroom gown, but the gown of a goddess. In fact, the more he looked at it- it wasn't a gown at all. L didn't know what it was, but he couldn't stop himself from thinking it looked strikingly beautiful on her- despite his current depression.

When Raine spoke to him, something seemed different. Her voice was cold and monotone. There was no hint of a positive emotion whatsoever. "You got it right. Your theory about me was right on target." She didn't look up as she spoke.

L closed his eyes and opened them again. He didn't like where this was going and he was ready to wake up. "No, Raine. I didn't get it right. I was very wrong. You can't convince me any differently."

"Is that right?" L could see her fists balling up. "But… the great L is never wrong." A very deep and sinister snicker followed. Raine held her arms out in front of her and opened her hands- as if to catch raindrops or snowflakes. Very slowly, she closed her hands; and as they closed, L began to sink into the ground. It was like quicksand. The more L struggled to free himself, the further down he sank.

"Raine, what's going on?" L was trying to keep himself calm and collected. He had to keep repeating to himself in his mind, _'It's only a dream. It's only a dream.' _It definitely didn't _feel _like a dream.

Raine shot back in anger. "Do not address me by that name anymore! I am Akaia of the Wind!" The entire earth shook and L began to sink even faster. The earth had sucked him in up to his chest. He couldn't move his arms or his legs. L continued to struggle as Raine laughed at him. "Stupid water sprite, you'll suffer the same fate that I suffered- the punishment I was forced to endure because of _you_!"

"I don't know what you're talking about!" L still couldn't see her face through all of her hair.

"It's horrible isn't it? To be stuck in this forest without the ability to move? No living creature that roams here can ever stand still without eventually losing their desire to exist. The wind doesn't like to stand still. Time does not like to stand still. Yet, I was stuck here in suspended animation for 20 years! 20 years of the deepest misery one could ever feel! I vowed in my nightmares that I'd get revenge on you one day!" Raine started moving closure. She stopped about a foot away from him and squatted down right in front of him. L looked at the way she was sitting and knew he was being mocked. He still couldn't see her full face. Raine had never looked up.

L studied her. He was very confused and had no idea what she was talking about. He decided to wait to see if she had anything else to say. After a few seconds of silence, she continued. "My lover found me and freed me from my prison. I told him to mold me a human body and take me to where you were so I could destroy you. It was all too easy to get you to fall in love with me. All I had to do was pretend like I actually accepted and cared about you. I used my flute to dive into your head and slowly started destroying the one thing you hold so dear- your mind. You're weak enough now to take my place, as it should be. It's a shame an elemental's spirit is immortal, because you will be here for eternity. You will lose your desire to exist, just as I did."

"That's an interesting story; but I'm not buying any of this. None of this is real." L's head was the only part of him that was still above the surface. He felt his despair getting stronger- so strong; in fact, he started feeling the same doubt that he had felt when his memory lapsed. Was there truth to what Raine was saying? Was her love for him little more than an act the entire time? His sadness was so great, his eyes began to water. L fought to shake away the tears.

"Don't fight the darkness in your heart. You're a weak creature stuck in a dark corner. Let it all go. I want to hear you scream in agony… just like I'm sure you did when that blade entered your chest. Can you still feel it? Do you feel the blade penetrating your heart?"

L suddenly lost his breath. He could actually feel an unbearable pain in his chest. It was as if someone had just shoved a sword through him; only that wouldn't have been possible with him buried in the earth_. _He couldn't find his voice or his breath to scream. He just barely managed to think._ '…This… feels… too… real… to be… just… a dream…' _L could no longer control the tears in his eyes. They felt like insects crawling down his face.

Raine showed no sympathy. "Look at you. You're so fucking pathetic. You actually thought you could protect me? You couldn't even protect your own mother. She's dead because of you; you know? Her poor husband was tricked into raising his wife's bastard child. Had you never been born; she'd still be alive. Your father would have never come back for her if you didn't exist." It was raining in the dark forest. Raine held her hand out to feel it. "How sad- all you can do is make it rain. You're disappointing. I was really expecting more of a fight from the son of Lawliet."

Though it took everything he had, L managed to reply. "You're not… showing me your face for a reason. Raine… is gentle… and compassionate. She'd never be this cruel… to anyone. You're not my Raine!" L wasn't sure why, but the pain in his chest was starting to subside.

"What makes you so sure? Do you not believe what your eyes see? Do your ears not hear my voice?" Raine started to taunt him. "L's a bastard boy! Bastard, bastard, bastard!"

L's chest pain had downgraded itself to a bad heartburn. He gritted his teeth as he listened to the voice of the woman he loved degrade him. "Akaia of the Wind… I find it interesting. Why does an air elemental have the ability to control the earth?"

Raine exploded into a mad laughter. Her hands covered her face as she cackled. When the laughter was out of her system; Raine slowly removed her hands from her face, moving her hair away from it in the process. L glared at her hard. It was Raine's face, down to the very last feature- save for one thing. Her eyes were green. She smirked at him in amusement. "Damn! You got me!" What L witnessed next made him feel sick. Raine's skin slowly started to flake away. It was a disgusting sight. She looked like an anatomy model by the time her body started turning to dust. She was soon little more than a pile of earth on the ground.

L began to wonder if he was alone again. It was then another form rose from the pile of earth on the ground. L recognized him immediately. _'I knew it. I knew he had something to do with this. He seems much stronger than the last time I saw him.' _ Onasisk now stood before him, looking down in amusement with his emerald green eyes. His long red hair was slowly weighed down by the rain. Though he seemed stronger, he looked exhausted. "So… little Adian is all grown up. Forgive me for being so rude, but I'm afraid that test was necessary." L had something to say, but Onasisk didn't give him the chance. The earth that held L in place pulled him down completely. At that moment, everything was black.

When L regained his awareness, he found himself in an empty underground chamber. Tree roots hung from the ceiling. L looked around for an exit, but there wasn't one. He was surrounded by earth; and he wasn't alone. Onasisk sat on the other side of the room, resting his head on his hand. His legs appeared to be buried in the dirt- or rather; they were _part _of the dirt. Though his eyes were closed, he was obviously awake. He didn't open them when he spoke. "If you're wondering why you're down here; it's because I used too much energy on the surface. I need to be in the earth so I can recuperate."

"I'm sorry to say I don't really care."

Onasisk let out a quick laugh. "I tend to have that effect on people. You'd think after six centuries, I would have learned to behave myself by now."

L sat himself up and crouched in his usual position. The underground room was no bigger than an elevator and he felt like he was running out of air. It was also really cold and the only source of light was from a strange crystal that Onasisk held. L sucked on the tip of his thumb for comfort. "What exactly do you want?"

Onasisk sighed. "What do I _not_ want? I want what everyone else takes for granted. I want the right to exist. I want to reclaim my lover and make my new world with her. That's what I _really_ want. But the reality of it is that I'm dying and Akaia is in love with you. It isn't like the love she had for me. It runs deeper. And though deep down, it infuriates me; I know that her happiness is the only thing that will allow me to die in peace. She's the only thing in existence that I've ever attached myself to."

"Whatever love shefelt for me is more than likely gone. I broke her heart and we're no longer together. Having said that, I'd like to know why you feel inclined to invade my dreams. My connection to Akaia is now very loose."

"You didn't break her heart, you wounded it. Wounds normally heal over time; and as long as she doesn't pick at it, it shouldn't leave a scar."

"That almost sounds encouraging."

"You're giving up on her because you're giving up on yourself. Your own guilt is the only thing that keeps the two of you apart."

"How would you know?"

"I've watched you for too long… longer than I'm comfortable with. That and you're really no different from your father. Whenever Lawliet felt he had seriously wronged someone, he would distance himself from that person in shame to make sure it never happened again. Because of such, he was often misunderstood."

L played with his lips as he thought out loud. "You knew my father. So it's true then. I'm Adian. That nightmare that's haunted me half of my life is actually a resurfaced memory. Lawliet… was my father's name. Raine said that the man who stabbed me wasn't really my father. But that still doesn't answer all of my questions. My nightmare only shows me so much. I don't understand how I'm still alive."

"It really isn't my place to answer any of your questions about what happened that night. Akaia has had her memories fully restored. Let _her_ tell you how it is that you survived. She had never met your father before the night of the slayings, so if you have questions concerning him, then I guess I'll be the one that answers them."

"Why would you feel inclined to tell me about my father when earlier you only wanted me to suffer?"

"Your father was very well respected in the world of the elements. He had a brilliant mind and he was very passionate about the beauty found in life. He was a century older than me. I had the honor of meeting him when I was still very young- before I began spending my existence in and out of exile. I'm willing to give you information about him because that is what he would have wanted."

L narrowed his eyes. He couldn't help but speak sarcastically. "That's right. My father is an immortal water spirit (which apparently makes me one as well), and Raine… Akaia… is really a century old wind spirit who's living as a human. Please, forgive me if I find all of this laughable."

"You won't fully understand until your first human life has expired. I'm not here to argue about what's real and what isn't. In truth, I'm very tired and I'm about ready to end the conversation. I used up way too much lifespan when I disguised myself as Akaia."

"Then why did you go through the trouble? You mentioned it was a test?" L was just as eager to end the conversation as Onasisk was.

"I can give you several reasons for my actions. Let me start with one: it was revenge for being cruel to Akaia and treating her like a criminal. Two: I wanted to pull one last prank before I die. Three: I was bored. Four: I wanted to see if you had moved past the biggest obstacle that you and Akaia face as a couple- which would be _doubt_. You knew from the very beginning that I wasn't really Akaia. Even when doubt knocked at your door, you quickly dismissed it before it could enter. You knew because you believe in her. I'm very pleased with the results, even if it _did_ move my final death even further ahead of schedule. Magic of any kind requires a great deal of lifespan."

"Were any of your accusations true? Was I actually responsible for her twenty year sleep? That's assuming such a thing actually happened."

"Again, it isn't my place to discuss those matters. Talk to Akaia. I can give you a hint, though." Onasisk put his hand (palm down) on the ground. He held the glowing crystal close so L could see what he was doing. Onasisk said something in a language that L had never heard before and slowly lifted his hand; extracting what looked like a regular stone out of the ground. "Do you know what this is?" He placed it in his palm and extended his hand to show L.

L looked unimpressed. "It's a rock."

"It's a life stone."

"It's a rock."

'Don't piss me off, Adian. It's more than just a rock. It's a life stone. It absorbs lifespan, just as a spirit does." Onasisk pushed the stone back into the ground. "I know you will take good care of Akaia for me- as a human and as a spirit. There will be times when the two of you will need a break from each other. Forever is a very long time to spend with someone, after all. Yet, even when you're apart- be it a decade, half a century, or a full century- the love that you share will never die and you will always reunite. You will be forever in tune with her if you say your vows before the other elements. Are you willing to do such?"

"You're asking me to marry her?"

"Something like that. I'm assuming since you don't want to accept what you are, you have forgotten the language of the elementals. Do you no longer speak to the rain?"

"I have no idea how to speak to an element of nature. Though, apparently I did at one time."

"You'll figure it out soon enough. You have to accept what you are first. Once the time is right, your instincts will awaken the language of your people. It was instinct that taught you the language in the first place. You can't lose languages as easily as you lose memories."

"Memories… about that…"

"You'll never lose them again unless you're an old and senile human. You never answered my question, but you don't have to. I already know I have nothing to worry about."

"You're assuming she'd take me back. Why would I ask such a thing of her after what I did?"

"Work it out with her on your own, Adian. I'm not a love doctor."

L noticed small amounts of dirt falling from the ceiling. It unnerved him to the point of feeling claustrophobic. "I'm ready to wake up."

"Go ahead. I'm not stopping you. I'm too tired for company."

L couldn't take his eyes off of the ceiling. _'I can wake up now. I can wake up right now. Wake up… wake up…' _He was biting on his fingers in hopes of waking himself_. 'If that pain in my chest didn't wake me up, then it's unrealistic to think something as simple as biting my fingers would work.' _He glanced over at Onasisk, who looked annoyed that L was still there.

"I'm going to give you an option, Adian. You can either wake up peacefully; or you can feel what it's like to be buried alive and wake up abruptly. I don't have the strength to maintain this chamber anymore. Either way, I'm gone. It's been fun." Onasisk extinguished his light and left L alone in the pitch black room. The ceiling was collapsing. L could feel the clumps of dirt hitting him. The entire chamber was filling itself in. L was being buried alive. The moment his head went under, he woke up. L was grateful to be awake and staring at his computer monitor again. He breathed a sigh of relief. Sleeping had just never been his cup of tea.

* * *

**I feel like I ended this too abrubtly. I realize too that it was a very predictable chapter. Sorry about that. I hope it's okay as it is; but this is a far cry from being my best chapter. See you guys next chapter! I'm going to take my time with the next one. The holidays have filled my schedule!**


	24. The Child Within

**I do not Own Death Note or any characters affiliated!**

**A/N: This was a very emotional chapter for me to write. It actually brought a few tears to my eyes. I had a hard time proofing it since I my mind was still stuck at the end of the chapter when I started reading it again, so I hope I haven't missed anything too big. I've also started going over my previous chapters. My goodness! there's so many mistakes in some of those, I don't know how you guys managed to read through it! I hope this one is ok!**

* * *

"That's it? That's all you're going to let them cut? It still goes down to the middle of your back!" Wedy had figured Raine would get a cut just above or below the shoulders.

"She took off almost a foot of hair. If it's too short, there won't be enough to weigh the curls down and it'll puff out like a poodle. I'd hate it! Trust me!" Raine and Wedy had ventured to a hair stylist after all of Raine's classes were over; as they had planned. It was more than just a hair salon; they did facials, manicures and waxing as well. While Raine got a haircut, Wedy decided on a facial and manicure. It was odd having a girl's day out. Raine was so used to hanging out with L all of the time, she felt a little alien to the ways of being girlie. She tried to picture L accompanying her to such an occasion. _'He'd get so bored! He'd probably sit in the waiting area and eat gummy bears the whole time. He would stare out the front window and fall into his own little world.'_

"So, how long are you and Ryuzaki going to pretend like you don't want to be together anymore?" Wedy knew to never speak of L by his most important name in public. She was sitting only a few feet away, so they didn't have a hard time having a conversation.

Raine frowned. "He isn't pretending, Wedy. He doesn't trust me. It's my own fault for being secretive with him about certain things for so long, but the fact still remains the same. He can't afford to get too close to someone he can't trust."

"I know the guy is almost impossible to read, but I think he still feels something. He's paying me top dollar to hang out with you and he texts several times a day to ask how you're doing. I don't think he would do all of that if he wasn't still in love with you. He's never requested this sort of thing from me before."

"I know he still cares, but I don't think…"

"Ooo, a rich man? You can give him my number!" The hair stylist joked. She had overheard Wedy say she was being paid a large sum of money.

Raine smiled uncomfortably. She wasn't fond of gossip and she was even less fond of eavesdropping. "Yes, he's a doctor. I've been sick, so he hired Wedy to stay with me for a while."

"Oh my! You're not contagious, are you?"

Raine frowned. "No, it's a terminal illness."

"Oh, hun! I'm so sorry to hear that!"

"I-it's fine, thanks! I'm feeling much better now! Doc says I still have another year or two ahead of me!" Lying could be very useful when it came to protecting L. When it came right down to it; lying was one of L's main sources of survival. Raine decided a little dishonesty wasn't always a bad thing. The hair stylist got quiet again as she finished styling Raine's hair. Wedy rolled her eyes and picked up where they had left off.

"Be honest, Raine. If he were to visit you again and profess his love to you, would you take him back?"

"That would never happen! I seriously doubt I'll ever see him again anyway. He said he wouldn't bother me anymore."

"I bet he said that before he visited the last time, didn't he?"

"Well… he had a good excuse."

"And he'll always have a _new_ excuse. Whenever he's in the area, he's going to find a way to visit you. You've got him wrapped around your finger. I'll bet you anything."

Raine hoped that Wedy was right. She didn't like the thought of never seeing L again. "If he comes to visit me, then I'll welcome him; but I'm not going to get my hopes up just so they can get dashed."

"I bet if he'd get some sleep and stand up straight… maybe get a little sun on his skin … he'd probably be really attractive."

"He's attractive enough without all of that. I do worry about his diet, though. He's more active than you'd think, but he still appears anemic! Every time he eats a healthy meal, he drenches it in syrup!"

Wedy laughed. "Well, I'm sure you can convince him to take a multi-vitamin!"

Raine tried to laugh along, but she could feel herself falling into depression again. She decided to change the subject. She didn't want the hair stylist to wonder why a doctor lived such an unhealthy lifestyle. "Should we eat out tonight? Or should I attempt to cook again? I think I'm out of Ramen noodles."

Wedy didn't hesitate. "Either dine out or order a pizza! That'll be the perfect closing to our _girl_ day." Wedy made a face through her clay mask. _'I can't bear her cooking a day longer!'_

Raine's hair was done before Wedy's facial and manicure. She decided to go sit in the waiting area and read a magazine. There weren't a lot of magazines that caught her eye, so she looked out the window for awhile. She glanced back at Wedy every now and then (who still had her clay mask on). Wedy was having a conversation with the woman giving her the manicure. Without any decent reading material, Raine found herself getting bored. Just when she thought a nap sounded good, she noticed something outside the window.

A small brown dog was limping down the sidewalk, and no one was stopping to help the animal. It looked like it was in a hurry to get somewhere, but it was obviously struggling. Perhaps it had been hit by a car. Whatever the reason, Raine couldn't bear to just sit there and not try to help it. Even if it wasn't normally considered safe to approach an injured animal, Raine's heart was just too big. She got up and slipped outside without Wedy even noticing. _'That poor little dog! I wonder if the landlord allows animals. I could bring it home with me and take care of it. Who would I ask? Roger? I don't even know who my landlord is! My rent is deducted from my paycheck!'_

Raine hurried her pace to keep up with the dog and started calling out to it. "Here puppy, puppy." It didn't stop, unfortunately. It kept on going until it cut a corner. Raine rushed over to the corner of the building and followed it into an alley. It was a very stupid move on her part. She followed the dog until she reached the middle of the alleyway. It was then to her horror, she discovered what was really going on. There was a man standing next to a dog carrier with a dog whistle. He threw a dog treat into a carrier and the dog went in. Raine turned around to run away, only to find three more men blocking her path.

Raine tried to fight off her panic. She closed her eyes and whispered. "Ants." She hated herself for falling for the wounded animal trick. L had told her about this method, though it was normally used for kidnapping children. That was obviously what the men were going for- a child. The younger they were, the easier it was to break and brainwash them. The kidnapper would spend the day selecting random places to display the well trained animal. If someone helped the dog who didn't fit the demographics, the kidnapper would simply thank them for finding their lost dog with fake concern and move to another area to try again. Unfortunately for Raine, she fell into one of the demographic categories they were looking for. She was no child, but she _was_ a helpless young female who had a pretty face.

_'If I wasn't in this human body, I could suck the air out their lungs and be done with it. But I'm just a weak human! The few powers that aren't dormant would be enough to kill me if I used them; and there's no guarantee I would have enough lifespan left to escape my body! I don't have the tracking device that L gave me! Damn it! I'll just have to defend myself the old fashion way.' _She decided to focus on getting past the guy with the dog whistle. If she could get past him, she could make a safe exit at the other end of the alley. There was luckily no dead end from what she could see. The alley looked like it turned off into an opening. There couldn't have been a wall around the corner. There was too much light coming through. Raine was sure she could out run the others.

"Aren't you a pretty gem?" One of the guys spoke out as Raine stuffed her hand in her pocket. He didn't look much older than L, but it was very plain to see he wasn't a guy who was easy to over power. He was very broad shouldered and well built. His bald head was inked with hate symbols. The very sight of them infuriated Raine.

Raine stalled them to buy a little time. She looked down so that her hair covered the sides of her face and fell into her L demeanor. "What can I do for you gentlemen this evening?"

"Oh, I imagine within the next few hours; you'll be _doing_ all of us." The tall guy with the dog whistle laughed as though he had just said something funny.

"What a lame thing to say. You seriously can't think of a better line?" Raine tried to keep a cold and arrogant demeanor. It was a necessary defense mechanism she had picked up from L. It kept her from panicking. If she panicked, she knew it would all be over. One of the men from behind her started to move toward her. Raine wasn't making an attempt to move. She let him get within a foot away from her before she said anything. "I'm afraid I'll have to ask you not to come any closure. Otherwise, I'll have to hurt you." Every single one of the men laughed at her. She used their laughter as her opportunity to strike. She quickly pulled her hand out of her pocket, revealing her yo-yo.

With one flick of her wrist, she popped the guy that was closest to her right in the middle of the eyes before jerking the yo-yo back. Though it didn't even come close to knocking him down, it did manage to stun him. It bought her just enough time to dart toward the man standing next to the dog carrier. It was to her advantage that the man was tall and lanky. It meant that he didn't weigh as much as the others. She did one last yo-yo trick, aiming for the man's ankles. The string wrapped around his ankles completely only once, since it was a fairly short string; but it was enough to break his balance after a firm tug.

Raine made no attempt to retrieve her yo-yo. It was too risky. As she ran past the guy with the now bound ankles, she briefly mourned the loss of the very first heartfelt gift L had ever given her. She heard the other men shouting at her as they tailed her. Once she reached the corner and turned. Raine slowed to a stop. She had been right that the alley had two exits; but she hadn't counted on a small moving truck blocking the exit she needed. The space was very narrow between the walls and the trailer of the truck. It would have been a struggle to get around it. The back of the trailer was open and waiting. _'Someone took a lot of time and care to park this here. No business would expect a truck this size to attempt such a thing. This truck is theirs. I bet they use it to transport their product. If I attempt to squeeze through and go around… there's too high of a possibility that there are more of them waiting in the cab. I'd only be trapping myself.'_

She slowly turned around to see that the men who were chasing her had caught up and stopped. It only confirmed her theory. They weren't rushing to get to her before she tried to squeeze through the opening because they knew there was someone in the cab to greet her at the other end_. 'It's too tight of a squeeze. I wouldn't have any leverage to fight and the guy at the other end could pull me out with no problem. Crap! If I had my flute, I could turn these guys into zoned out zombies! Crap!'_ Her mind was racing faster than she could keep up with. Raine had no other choice but to try and fight them off and run back to the side of the alley where she had entered.

Raine wore the look of helplessness. It was yet another tactic to mislead the men. She only hoped she wasn't misleading herself as well. Raine was still very much a novice fighter in capoeira. She had kicked L once, but that was the only time she had used it as anything other than a dance. Raine doubted her abilities, but she had to go with what she had. She lost her helpless look and charged at the men in desperation. She greeted the bald guy with a butterfly twist; spinning around and meeting his face with the back of her foot. It knocked the guy off of his feet, but the impact also knocked Raine down as well. One of the men tried to grab her while she was down. "Ooooo, she's a feisty one!"

Raine quickly kicked up both of her legs at the same time. The attack landed in his gut, which quickly put him out of commission. She bolted back up to a standing position. _'Two down!'_ She then noticed that the bald guy was up again. _'Okay. One down.' _She made one last charge and gave them everything she had. Her deadly dance prevented them from getting too close to her, but her kicks were very weak. None of the blows landed were enough to knock out the receiver. It was only enough to sting or stun. Every time she managed to knock one down, they would get right back up again. It wasn't too long before Raine began to get tired. The time between her attacks grew longer. Her body was running out of energy. _'Damn it all! Being human has too many disadvantages!'_

They didn't wait for her to tire out completely. Raine felt a sudden jolt of electricity travel through her body. It was powerful enough to knock her down. In fact, it rendered her completely helpless. She looked up at the bald guy before she closed her eyes. He smiled down at her and held up a taser gun, waving it around to taunt her. He gave her a look of sarcastic sympathy. It was the last thing she saw before she fell into an unconscious state of sleep.

* * *

Raine was already in the heat of battle by the time Wedy realized that she was gone. Wedy was about to get her mask washed off when her cell phone beeped with a new text message. Without looking toward the now empty waiting area, she pulled her phone out of her pocket. "I bet that's Ryuzaki now, doing his periodic check. God, he's got it so bad for you. It's sort of pathetic." Though she kept the other thought to herself, it caused Wedy to roll her eyes. _'I guess I can see why he'd be so attached. It's not like any other woman in their right mind would have him.'_ Sure enough, she opened her message and it was L making sure Raine was safe. Wedy finally turned to face the waiting area. "I was right! It's… Raine?"

Wedy stood up and scanned the entire salon. She knew the woman who was handling her facial and manicure wouldn't have seen Raine leave. They had both had their backs turned the whole time. Wedy asked the stylist that had cut Raine's hair, but she had been preoccupied with another client. The client was the only one who had useful information. "The girl with the long curly hair? I saw her walk outside about 10 or 15 minutes ago. I can't remember what direction she went in though. I was only half paying attention."

Without even bothering to wipe her face off, Wedy threw a wad of cash on the counter and stormed out. She franticly looked in every direction, not knowing which way to go. She hit the speed dial for L on her cell phone and decided to check the surrounding stores. _'Shit! Shit! Does she not understand she isn't supposed to leave my sight! L and Watari both will have my head mounted on their wall if anything happens to her! Shit!'_

* * *

L was working on his laptop as he rested on one of the patios of the estate. He had been spending a lot of time outside in hopes of feeling a breeze. Gentle breezes always reminded him of Raine. It made him feel like she was close by. Though on this occasion, it was a lot more than a gentle breeze; L didn't mind. He had a map of an old paper factory pulled up on his screen. Through a headset (that thankfully had a wind screen), he spoke with the head of the British police force. "I will need you to wait until my moles have deactivated the main security system and are in proper position before you send in the first wave of men. If we make our move before the moles have word, this mission will fail and there will be bloodshed. Watari will forward you a map of where you are to position your men. It would be wise if you not give them any direct orders without consulting me before hand."

L watched the clouds overhead as he wrapped up his conversation. There was a very strong cold front pushing them along. It seemed odd to L that the front seemed to stop the moment the clouds were directly overhead_. 'A wind that strong doesn't just stop moving, does it? It passes through, taking the clouds with it. But the lower clouds have stopped moving completely. The cold front died instead of moving through. It doesn't seem natural. I could be completely wrong. Perhaps I should research the weather. I'm not as educated on the subject as I'd like to be. If Raine and her annoying companion are actually right about my background, then it would make since that I study meteorology.'_

He slowly stood up and stretched as he pondered the weather, among other things. Out of nowhere, an odd feeling suddenly struck him. The air seemed very thick; and the group of clouds that had formed over him refused to move on. _'This… feeling. Something isn't right.'_ His eyes took in his surroundings. "Should I assume the pile of dirt is back to harass me some more?" No answer to his insult. _'No. It isn't him this time. It's something else.' _He pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and started texting Wedy. L had formed a bad habit of checking in on Raine; though he knew as long as Wedy was with her, no one would bother her. Wedy was very well trained in defending herself. She had to be in order to survive the underground world of criminals she had once associated with.

What worried him was Raine's tendency to roam. Though she never went very far, Raine had often slipped away from L's visual range while they were traveling together. She had a very hard time staying in one place for too long. It annoyed L beyond belief. It was like looking after a little child at times. He had actually threatened to put a leash on her once as a result of his irritation (though he didn't really mean it). Sometimes L wondered to himself if he was too obsessed with protecting her. He worried that he was taking away her basic freedoms by watching over her so closely. He didn't want to seem like an overbearing parent, but L couldn't help himself. He couldn't let her fall prey to the cruelty of the world. He loved her too much.

L waited anxiously for a reply back. Instead of a text reply, his phone started ringing with an incoming call. _'That's not good.' _His heart began to sink as he accepted the call and held the phone to his ear. "Yes?"

Wedy sounded frantic. "Ryuzaki, I don't know where she is! She was in the beauty salon waiting on me and then she apparently got bored and just walked out! I'm looking in all the surrounding stores to see if she's browsing one, but most of them will be closing soon!"

L had to force himself to breath. _'Calm. Stay calm. She's done this before. She's probably right around the corner playing with her yo-yo… despite knowing the fact that the streets are currently infested with abductors.'_ He balled up his fists. "Wedy, does she have the tracking device I gave her?"

"No! I didn't even realize she had such a thing! Is that the hand held thing that she has sitting on her coffee table?" L could tell that Wedy was running as she was talking.

"I see. Well then, you will have to give me a minute to activate the _other_ tracking device. I had a feeling she wouldn't keep the other one with her, and she doesn't always carry her flute because of its size; so I had a microchip planted inside of her yo-yo. She never goes anywhere without it." He pulled out a pocket sized device very similar to the one he given Raine as he spoke. "I know it works because I was able to track her with it the night she walked out of the hospital."

"Ryuzaki, I swear it's sort of creepy that you would go to that extreme to keep up with her; but with the way she wanders off without telling anyone, it's probably going to save her life one day… maybe even today."

L only heard bits and pieces of what Wedy had said. The tracking device was interfering with his cell phone signal. Soon, the call was lost all together. L bolted into the direction of Watari's garage. He wasn't sure where Watari was, nor did he care. There wasn't enough time to find Watari. L was more than capable of driving a car. He almost lost his balance when he stopped in his tracks. "Keys!" L wasn't skilled in hotwiring a car. He could have figured it out of course, but there wasn't enough time to learn something new, not even for someone as sharp as L. Not when his emotions were controlling his every thought.

A little luck was on his side at least. Watari had heard L barge through the side door and was now within speaking distance. "L, what's the matter? You sound highly upset."

"Watari, walk with me to whichever car you currently have the keys for. I need to be 7.2 miles southeast of here in a very short amount of time. I'll explain on the way."

L contacted the police on his way to town and told them he had reason to believe there was significant criminal activity taking place in the area where Raine and Wedy had been. In a matter of minutes, he had ¾ of the police force patrolling the area Raine had disappeared as well as the surrounding 15 mile radius. Though the head police official thought L was off his rocker, it wasn't in good interest to lose L as an ally. L was the one who had solved the Winchester Mad Bombings, after all. L was a very valuable asset to the British police force, as he was with most other European and North American countries. Though they secretly disliked and resented him, they couldn't afford to lose their trump card. The police complied with L's orders; no questions asked.

Watari wasn't sure L was being reasonable. "L… perhaps Miss Raine is just in a store… perhaps a dressing room; which would be why Wedy hasn't located her yet. Raine is known for wandering off and you panic every single time. Don't you have any faith that Miss Raine can take care of herself?"

"There are predators invading at this very moment, Watari! We're dealing with an entire underground empire that has spiraled out of control! These are not generic sex offenders! No corner of the UK is safe for a young woman or child to be alone right now!" L's voice was louder and more excited than usual, though it still couldn't really be considered yelling.

"How do you intend on protecting her when we resume our travels again? We're scheduled to leave in less than two weeks. You won't be able to jump on a plane and rush to her aid every time you think something is wrong. I realize you love her, but you need to either pursue it or let go. I think the world of Miss Raine, which is why I think it's only right to let her spread her wings and fly if you don't wish to be with her. You can't keep her under twenty four hour surveillance for the rest of her life."

L was hugging his arms tightly. "Watari… I realize that everything you just said is true, but I think you're failing to realize the severity of this situation. Her yo-yo has been sitting at the same location for the past 20 minutes. The stores have already closed for the day and Wedy has not yet reported finding her. This doesn't look good. There is a 98% possibility that she will not be found with the yo-yo."

"That… does indeed sound like a reason to be concerned. Perhaps she left it in a store?"

"No. Raine wouldn't be so careless. She values that yo-yo just as much as she values her flute." L's mind was racing several miles a minute as Watari sped down the road. His worry and fear were starting to get the better of him. "The moment I find her, she'll never leave my sight again. I'll have myself chained to her if that's what it takes to make sure this doesn't happen again." L was starting to talk more than like a madman than a cool and collected detective.

"I believe the Mello part of you is starting to come out again. And I'm not referring to the pleasant kind of _mellow_." Watari had grown very fond of teasing L about his successors being like two extreme sides of his personality. L normally tried to keep his _Near _persona as the dominate part; but when it involved his feelings for Raine; the _Mello_ persona would throw Near into a dungeon and keep him locked in there until he had finished erupting.

"Please, Watari. Just hurry."

As Watari accelerated the gas, he couldn't help but think. _'The funny thing is that the real Mello would actually do that to Near if given the opportunity.'_ Though he was trying not to think about it, the truth was Watari was getting just as worried as L. If the stores had already closed and Wedy had yet to report finding her, then there was a definite possibility that something was very wrong. Watari's eyes hadn't been blind to the local news. He had ordered Wammy House to enforce a mandatory buddy system as well as curfew for the children. In the evening hours, the entire orphanage went on lock down and attendance was taken. His seemingly positive thinking was his own defense mechanism for avoiding panic.

The car started slowing down as it approached the location of Raine's yo-yo. "L, please try not to get out of the car angry. If you find that Raine is safe, you're very likely to say something that will hurt her feelings with your present demeanor."

"No, Watari. The wind is no different than the rain. It doesn't like to stand still. Something is very wrong and she's trying to call out to me! I know it!" L bolted out of the car before it could come to a complete stop. After stumbling to gain his balance, he was running as fast as he could down the alleyway. He could hear the imaginary cathedral bell ringing over and over in his mind. His tracking device beeped when the yo-yo was within a few feet. L looked around franticly. He saw no sign of Raine, but he did find the one thing he was dreading. Lying next to a wall -shattered into several pieces- was Raine's red yo-yo. There was no Raine attached to it. She was gone.

L kneeled down and picked up the broken pieces as well as the string. He closed his hands around them and cradled them to his chest as if he was holding something as fragile as an exposed heart. Not even the thunder could stop the sound of the bells in his mind. He didn't move or speak when Watari finally caught up to him, nor did he notice when the rain started pouring. Watari felt his heart drop to his stomach. He knew what was wrong the moment he saw L. Someone had indeed taken her. Heartbroken, Watari kneeled down in the rain with the man he thought of as his son and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Oh, my child. I'm so very, very sorry." Watari could feel the tears forming in his eyes. He could feel L trembling. It was as if the pain of L's crumbling heart was being channeled into his own.

"There was a struggle here." L's voice was very low and shaky. It was obvious he was struggling to talk. Every word was being forced out. "Raine… fought hard. She gave it everything she had." His voice was starting to crack. Though the rain hid his tears, it was obvious in his voice that they were there. "They have her, and she's… alone and… scared. They're being cruel to her now. They're putting their filthy hands all over her and laughing at her despair. They're… hurting… my Raine…"

L squeezed the remains of the yo-yo so tightly, the broken edges cut into his hands. There was no way of knowing if he felt it or not. His agony was already in overdrive. "And those… bells. Those… god-awful bells!" Without warning, L bolted up and threw the yo-yo to the ground. His hands grabbed his hair as he started screaming at the sky. "Why couldn't I protect her? Why does my enemy always have to be bigger than me?" He fell to the ground again; landing in a fetal position and rocking back and forth like an autistic child having a meltdown. "I can't protect her. It's too big. I can't protect her. The world is just too big." He kept repeating the same thing over and over again to himself as he rocked.

Watari threw his arms around L and held on as tight as he could. "L, you have to pull yourself together or we'll never find her!"

"I've failed her, Watari! I've failed yet again!" There was no wind to go with the downpour. L wanted to die right there. He felt he deserved it.

"Ryuzaki!" A woman's voice called out from behind them. Though L did not acknowledge it, Watari turned to see who it was. Wedy stepped out of the shadows and marched sternly over to where L was. She kneeled down and slapped L in the face as hard as she could. "Snap the fuck out of it! Look at you! It's like a whimpering child has possessed you and he's showing us his pathetic face!"

"It's… Adian. My name… is Adian… and Adian is very weak." L had almost lost his will to speak, but his words were in fact coming from the frightened little child that had been hiding inside of him all of those years. Wedy punched him in the face this time. It almost sent both L and Watari flying backwards.

Watari struggled to keep the two of them up. "Blast it all, Wedy! Are you trying to knock him unconscious? He's already suffered a concussion this month! He doesn't need another one! Why are women these days so bloody violent?"

"I'm trying to knock some damn sense into him! He isn't in his right mind! This isn't the L we know!" Wedy wasn't about to apologize.

It had apparently worked, because L suddenly sat up straight and clenched both his teeth and fists together in anger. "Wedy… I will have to ask you **not **to hit me again."

Wedy smiled and patted L on the arm before looking at Watari to wink. "There he is. I knew he'd come back."

L opened and closed his bleeding hands several times. His face wore a new look of determination. It really was as if L had been temporarily possessed; and Wedy had knocked whatever it was out of him. "Wedy, do you have any information for me?"

"In fact, I do. Several people reported a moving truck speeding out of this same ally entrance not even half an hour after Raine was last seen. It was heading north. They could be taking her to the heart of the operation. Don't you have people positioned there now?"

"It is possible they have taken her there; but there's no guarantee. They normally don't dump all of their catches in one place right away. They could be hiding her in a smaller bolt hole (so to speak) until the majority of their finished products have been shipped off to other countries. Raine could be anywhere right now." L stood up and stared into the sky. The rain drops washed away the blood coming out of his nose. He closed his eyes and focused on the drops as they landed harshly against his face. _'Tell me. Tell me where they've taken her.'_

L remained silent for several minutes. Watari and Wedy weren't really sure what he was trying to do. Wedy finally broke the rain filled silence. "So… what's our next move, boss?"

L clenched his fists again and turned to face his companions. "We have a very long night ahead of us. We will go now." The look of determination never left his face_. 'I will not let it stop raining until I find her. I'll flood the entire city if I have to. Every last insect will be flushed out of its hole, so help me!'_

_

* * *

_

**Seriously, who didn't see Raine's abduction coming from a mile away? Sorry I had to turn L into a sobbing idiot. I didn't know how else to get him through it. He's got a lot of issues and has had it sort of rough in this story. His human side has to come out eventually**

__


	25. The Doctor

**A/N: This chapter actually starts with a dream sequence, which will go over several things that L has said in past chapters. I hope it isn't too hard to read.**

**

* * *

**

A dark dream filled Raine's heart. She found herself kneeling before L; who was perched on a throne with his arms crossed and resting on his knees. His head was tilted down; but somehow, the chained crown he wore stayed in place. His wild hair wouldn't allow her to see his face. Even if he were to look up, the dark shadows that loomed over him wouldn't have allowed him to fully show himself. His voice echoed in her dream.

"I'm not in love. It isn't possible. I'm incapable of loving and I lack the desire to love. It isn't something you ever have to worry about. My only desire is to do my job. I want to help you. I want to protect you."

'_That's right. That's what he told me in the beginning.'_

"I'm an arrogant man with a dirty mind. It isn't in your best interest to get attached to me. In fact, I won't allow it to happen."

'_But it did happen, didn't it? And when it did, I left… just as I said I would.'_

"…recently something has awakened inside of me that poses a threat to my cold little black heart. I'm afraid I don't know how to deal with it."

'_You mean feelings? You don't know how to deal with feelings? Why even bother then? They'll only serve to make your heart even blacker in the end.'_

"It isn't my job to protect you. It's my desire."

'_Is that really true? Or maybe you're making up for the fact that you couldn't protect your mother.'_

"My desire to be closer to you is very sincere. I'm only being insincere when I push you away."

'_No. You're lying, aren't you? You don't really want to be with me. If you did, then you wouldn't have allowed any of this to happen.'_

"I suppose love is a little more potent than alcohol; and it just so happens I've been drinking it non-stop for several months now."

'_No. You don't know how to love. You're incapable of it. You said it yourself.'_

"I had no idea what true happiness was until I came to know you. I'll never love anything in this world as much as I love you."

'_If you really mean that… then why are you letting them hurt me? They're hurting me, Adian! Why are you letting them do this to me?' _Her thoughts were screaming at him.

There were no more words from the man on the throne. It infuriated Raine so much, she lunged at him. The throne had somehow disappeared, and now Raine had L pinned down to the floor. L looked up into the darkness with no emotion on his face. His crown was gone. Though there was no expression of sadness, nor were there any sobs, a river of tears poured from L's eyes. He almost looked like a mannequin crying. Though his lips remained still, Raine could hear his voice clearly. "Perhaps I _am_ nothing more than a liar. I was no good to my mother, and I'm no good to you. I was never meant to be part of this world. I should have perished alongside my mother. It isn't fair to her that I should live. Allow me my original destiny. Let me become one with the blade so that I may finally sleep."

Raine felt her hand close around something. She looked down to see that she was holding the handle of a machete. Like a puppet on strings, an invisible force guided her arm until she plunged the blade through L's chest. His body jerked only once, and then it was still. Raine looked into his glassy eyes in horror. "Adian?" It didn't sound like she had said his name out loud at all. It was too muffled to even be a word. _'Why can't I speak clearly?'_ Her tears started to fall on her dead lover's face. _'Adian… L! I didn't do this! I didn't have control of my body! Please, wake up!'_

"You never had any faith in me, did you?" His voice was still there, but it wasn't coming directly from the lifeless corpse on the floor.

Raine's entire body was in pain, but it was minor compared to what her heart was feeling. _'That's the exact same thing I said to him the night he followed me into the woods.'_

His words from that night came to her as his corpse began to change. "I really do love you. I wish I didn't, but I have no control over it. I shall profess it in every language I know, if that is your wish."

'_He told me he wished that he didn't because he knew I wouldn't believe him. I was angry enough to practically spit in his face. He followed me into the woods that night because his love for me never truly died- not even in his own moment of doubt. But I… doubted him. I didn't want to hear what he had to say. He told me how he truly felt and I called him a liar.'_ L's body was different. It had somehow morphed back into the three year old toddler that had once stared up at Raine's spirit and reached out for her.

Raine struggled to pull the blade out of him, but managed. She threw the blade aside and cradled the lifeless child in her arms. _'I know that there can be no miracle without a price. I realize that now and I realized that the night I found you. I don't regret the decision I made! You have to wake up for me now, Adian!' _

"You doubt my love for you. Perhaps your doubt, along with my own, means that what we share is merely an illusion."

'_No! I won't accept that! I've doubted your true feelings for me just as you once doubted mine; but I never stopped loving you! And you never stopped loving me! I know that now! All of my doubt is dead!'_ Raine couldn't stop bawling. She was ready to wake up, but she knew what it was that she would be waking up to. The physical pain that engulfed her body wasn't part of her dream at all. She continued to cry uncontrollably until she noticed she was no longer holding little Adian's body. Instead, the full grown Adian was holding her. She had buried her face into his shoulder to cry without even realizing it.

She looked up into his dark eyes, which were warm and inviting. A very faint smile crossed his face as he nudged her nose with his. "Do you have faith in me? Do you have any doubt left in your heart that I won't find you?" His voice finally fell in sync with his now moving lips.

Raine still couldn't understand why she couldn't speak intelligibly out loud. It made her cry even harder that she couldn't answer him directly. _'I know you will! I know you won't leave me here to die!'_

"My dearest…" He gently held her chin and guided her head so that she was looking him in the eyes again. "I can hear you, though you can't speak. Please don't cry. I know your spirit is strong. I have faith that you'll believe in me. I _will_ find you. I won't rest until you're in my arms." He placed a light kiss on her lips and took her hand into his. "Try to sleep as much as you can. Close your eyes and pretend, if you have to. They won't touch you unless you're awake. They want you to be fully alert and aware of what they're doing to you."

'_L…' _Raine buried her head in L's chest_. 'Please, hurry! I can't take it anymore! I'm scared!' _

Raine was suddenly jerked away from him. A sharp pain across her face had jolted her out of her sleep. Her lead abductor had ripped the duct tape off of her mouth. "You're starting to look a little too comfortable over here." A loud sob escaped Raine, which only prompted the man to slap her across the face. "No one said you could make any fucking noise!" He forced Raine's mouth open and grabbed one of her top front teeth with a pair of pliers, pulling it just enough to cause an uncomfortable pressure. "We're going to try something new; and if you bite me, I'll pull out every single one of these pretty teeth of yours."

The tears that trailed down her face stung her open wounds. After she had somewhat recovered from the jolt she received from the taser, she found herself in what looked like an empty storage room. She had been stripped of all of her clothes and her arms and legs had been duct taped together. The moment they realized that she was awake; they had wasted no time in displaying their cruelty. They took turns beating her with a belt and kicking her. The bald one had gone on and on about the busted lip she had given him during the fight. He punched her in the face to exact his revenge, which had ended up knocking her unconscious again. It was actually to her advantage that she lost consciousness. It proved effective in the delay of her sexual assault. Now she was awake again and the men had new things planned for her. The beating had been little more than payback for the fight in the alley.

Raine's arms were up over her head rather than behind her back now. They were held up by a rope was secured around a beam on the ceiling. It made her feel even more naked and exposed. One of her abductor's came up from behind her and wrapped his arms around her. It was the bald guy. Raine had developed a special hatred for him. His hands fondled her harshly in all of her personal areas. Raine wanted to puke. He stopped only long enough to untie the rope that held her arms up and forced her to her knees. "You better remember what I said about biting, bitch. If I feel the edge of one tooth, we'll start calling you toothless."

It didn't take a genius to figure out what he was about to make her do. As he unzipped his pants, Raine found herself trying to think of something else, _'Why have the other elements not answered my calls? Onasisk is too weak to hear; L doesn't even know what he is and…' She_ closed her eyes as she realized something. _'They don't answer because I'm in exile. I'm not even supposed to be awake right now! I was sentenced to several centuries of suspended animation and I only served 20 years! L is my only hope and he won't be able to rely on the other elements for help. I know he'll find me though! He can find me faster than anyone! Somehow, I've just got to hang in there and deal with whatever they do to me!'_

Raine almost sighed a breath of relief when one the other abductors stormed into the room. "We have to move her, now! We've got officers patrolling the storage yard! The bastards are everywhere tonight!" Though she was grateful she didn't have to taste the filth of a stranger in that moment, she worried about being moved around. _'How is L supposed to find me if they don't keep me in one place?'_ Before she knew it, she had been gagged and wrapped up tight in a dark blanket. She was happy to have the blanket around her, even if it wasn't meant as an act of kindness. They had wrapped her up so they could move in stealth mode and blend into the night. The biggest of the men threw Raine over her shoulder like a rolled up rug and they left their hiding place, vanishing into the night.

* * *

"I'm willing to pay you one hundred and twenty grand a head, but I want them fresh. I'm not looking for a brainwashed slave. I'm looking for scared victims that have yet to feel true suffering. I'm requesting 4 young women and 2 children of no preferred gender. If I'm impressed by your selection, I will continue transactions with you as I need them. My pets normally don't last long, so you can expect my business frequently."

"Well, I have a shipment of fresh catches coming in tonight. I believe we only have three children to choose from, but we've managed to acquire over a dozen young women this past week. I'll be more than happy to send you the photographs so that you may make your selection."

"I want to select them in person. I'd like to see how they react when I slice my scalpel into their flesh before making my final selection."

"Ahh, well… we normally don't…"

"Should I raise my offer? 130 a head plus shipping expenses?"

"Shipping expenses?"

"I don't wish to travel with them. I want them shipped to my estate in Cancun. I want all but two on a boat to North America by dawn."

"All but two…"

"Yes. I shall indulge as long as I'm here on other business. You need not worry about body disposal. They won't be found."

"The shipping is very expensive, but I see that money obviously isn't a concern with you. I understand you've done business with the Singapore market in the past. I contacted one of their higher ups and he mentioned you were one of their best customers. I really think you'll be pleased with our selection. Perhaps we can persuade you to make our district your first choice for future purchases. Singapore is overrated these days."

"Well, hopefully I'll agree with you after I see your product. Please be expecting me within the next three hours. Have the necessary paperwork ready to go. I'm not the kind of man who has patience enough to sit in a waiting room while your secretaries get their shit together. And make sure I have a variety to choose from. I might buy a few more if I like what I see."

"Excellent! We'll be expecting you then! You'll have to go through standard security checks, of course."

"Of course. In three hours then. I shall wire you the deposit. Expect it within the next hour. Have all of them ready. I don't like waiting." The other end of the receiver went dead. Carl Heltman, the overseer of the 'paper factory' beamed with triumph. _'If I can steal Singapore's highest paying customer, they'll take a huge hit! I couldn't ask for a better way to crush the competition!' _At a hurried pace, he began dialing the numbers of all his hunters. It was time to herd the sheep.

* * *

"I just got a call from Heltman. He needs us to bring in all of our catches. We've only got three hours!"

"Why?"

"Apparently there's a sadistic doctor from the North American continent that wants to browse our inventory. Who gives a shit. We trade in the women for cash and live the good life for awhile."

"But we just got this one!" The bald guy kicked Raine hard in her side, who responded in a muffled cry of pain. "No one's going to want her at this phase! She's still covered in bruises!"

"He said he needed them fresh, bro. Get her into the van. We've still got to stop and pick up the other one, so we don't have a lot of time."

"What if I don't want to sell this one? I don't need the money that bad right now. I'll fuck her dry and then throw her off a bridge."

"Aww, are you getting attached?"

"Fuck off! We've been running around so much tonight, I haven't had a chance to get off yet!"

"Take care of it on the way there then. You might not need the money, but I do. There's too many damn cops out there tonight anyway! It's better if we go ahead and deliver now so we don't have any reason to keep evading these fuckers. Help me get her into the van."

* * *

L was losing patience. He had spent hours making phone calls, hacking into computer systems and placing his pawns on the game board. Now, he was speaking with the head of the British police force in his synthetic voice. L was trying his best to explain his reasoning behind his orders without giving it away that he was looking for Raine. If anyone knew that the world's greatest detective would go to such great lengths to protect one person, Raine would live the rest of her life on the run and in fear of L's enemies.

"The reason your men are out there searching every moving truck and desolate area is because we need to flush out the hunters. If we strike the paper factory while there are still safe places for the hunters to hide, the people they've abducted will never be found. The hunters will get word that the heart of the operation has been shut down and they'll remain in their hiding places until the storm has calmed. They'll have nowhere to take their captives once they come out of their holes- which means they will more than likely either use them to jumpstart another market or kill them. If we flush them out first, they will all flock to the same place in hopes of finding a safe haven in numbers and we can take them down all at once."

"I still don't understand why…"

"I have no time left to explain this to you. You still have more than enough men positioned at the paper factory. If you want this be a successful operation, you will wait until I give you the word before moving in." L disconnected himself from the conversation before the head official could reply. "Watari, have you received any updated reports from the patrolmen?"

"They found a couple of women who were reported missing over a month ago in a storage house behind an adult store. None of their descriptions matched Raine's and the men that were apprehended on the scene appeared to be in the midst of trying to move the women to another location."

"I see." L fell into deep thought, remaining there until Wedy interrupted the silence.

"You're planning on going in to get her yourself, aren't you? You think they're moving all of their captives to the paper factory?"

"Yes."

Watari looked alarmed. "You can't be serious! You've never put yourself in the face of danger before! You're smart enough to know better! If you go in there and something happens to you, then you've killed the very brain of our operation! They'll be no one left to save her!" Watari wasn't seeing any emotion from L. "You aren't even sure she's in there!"

"I will be the one who retrieves Raine. There will be no further argument regarding the matter."

Watari considered asking Wedy to knock some sense into L again. "Do you think it'll make you more of a man if you charge in there like a brave prince charming to rescue her?"

L held up his hand as an indication that he had heard enough. He tapped his finger on his knee for a minute. "Have there been any other reports from the officers on patrol?"

Watari bit down hard on his bottom lip and punched a few buttons on his hand held computer. "There's one coming in now. It says they apprehended a van that carried a missing high school student. It was en route to the paper factory."

"And how long ago did the girl's abduction take place?"

"Two days."

"That only confirms it then. All of the captives are being moved to the same place. They normally wouldn't move their product to the main warehouse after only two days of captivity. Either the hunters are running scared because of the increased police activity or…" L sighed. Quietly, he pulled up the live feed that was constantly being transmitted to him from the moles within the paper factory. His eyes scanned each log, and stopped at one that caught his eye. "One of our bugs picked up an incoming phone call to the main office of the factory just over two and a half hours ago." L quickly scanned the transcript. "We need to leave now. Raine is there and ready to present to their consumer."

"They would attempt to sell her away after only a few hours?"

L's eyes focused intently on Watari's. "Dr. Tailor…. Dr. Lind L. Tailor."

Watari's face suddenly went white. "You don't mean…."

L stood up and hurried past Watari. "I will explain on the way, Watari. We need to get to the paper factory immediately."

* * *

A clean shaven man in a long dark coat and black fur felt hat sat in Heltman's office, signing the necessary forms. Apparently, even certain areas of the black market had waivers to sign. His wire rimmed glasses made him look like a professor or doctor. In fact, he was a doctor; just not the kind of doctor that the medical community would approve of. His expression was very serious as he scribbled his signature on the forms. "If we're done here, Mr. Heltman; I would like to start browsing."

"Yes, of course Dr. Tailor. We've received our last shipment in and their ready for you to view. If you'll give me but a moment to file this…"

"Don't trouble yourself with escorting me. I see you're a busy man." The doctor's head turned to the office window, where he spotted a young man working at a desk just outside. "Perhaps your assistant can show me the product. I'd rather not wait for you to file away paperwork. I need to make my selection and leave before the roads flood over. I trust the deposit was wired through successfully?"

"Yes. It was right on time. I'm sure Ewan would be more than happy to escort you to our holding rooms." Mr. Heltman stood and showed the doctor to the door. "Ewan, do you mind escorting Doctor Tailor to the holding rooms? He's the one I informed you about earlier. Let him pick as many as he likes and make the arrangements to have them shipped out by tomorrow morning."

"Sure thing." The young man got up and extended his hand to the doctor. "My name is Ewan. It's nice to meet you." Doctor Tailorlooked down at Ewan's hand, but didn't extend his own in return. Ewan tried to shake off the doctor's rudeness. _'What an asshole.' _He plastered on a fake smile. 'Right this way, sir."

"I'd like to see your selection of children first."

"Umm. Yes. Of course. Right this way. We keep them in a separate room." Ewan wasn't fond of selling children. He normally tried to avoid the department all together. He frowned as he led the doctor to the children's holding room. "We currently have three… two girls and a boy. They range in age from four to ten years. Didn't you say you needed two?"

They were standing at the door to the children's room. "Just let me see them."

Ewan opened the door and looked away in shame. _'Why does he want the children? Why?'_ The youngest was a 4 year old girl with curly red hair. She was holding on to the older girl with blonde pigtails, who looked to be around the age of 6 or seven. Both of them looked up at the doctor with terrified expressions. The older boy was sitting in a corner facing the wall and hugging his knees. It was a heartbreaking scene. "Hmm. One is so small. I believe I'll take all three of them. In fact, I shall take them with me tonight. They don't need to be shipped."

Ewan felt a knot form in his stomach. _'My God, these children will be the first ones he kills…' _

Ewan started to close the door again, but the doctor intercepted him. "Let them walk with me. They are my property now. Show me the women."

Hearing the sobs and sniffles of the shackled children that now walked along side them unnerved Ewan. _'Why children? Why? I really need to find a new profession.' _They reached the door of the first holding room. "These aren't the ones that just arrived, but Mr. Heltman insisted that I let you look at them."

Doctor Tailor rolled his eyes and looked at his watch. "These women have been broken already? I'd hate to take a slave-ready female after your people have worked so hard to prepare her. I don't intend on using these females as slaves. It would be a waste." Ewan had already opened the door. Doctor Tailor's eyes studied each woman. There were a total of six. None of them appeared to be in distress and they had all been primped up for display. None of them even acknowledged the doctor's presence. They had completely lost their spirit, and didn't care about anything that surrounded them. "No. No, none of these. Show me the ones that are fresh off the streets. Those are the most fun."

"Yeah, we have them in two separate rooms. Most of them are still pretty bruised up since they're only in the first stages of being tamed. You're probably not going to see a lot of beauty due to that, but they'll definitely show you the element of fear you seem to be looking for."

"Take me to them, promptly."

"Y-yeah." When Ewan opened the door to the room holding the first batch of new arrivals, his head started ringing with loud crying, screams for help, and moans of anguish. The doctor walked in nonchalantly and studied each girl. None of them were clothed, and most of them looked as though they had rolled around in the dirt. The stench of body odor filled the room. One of the younger ones begged for a glass of water. She grabbed at the doctor's leg and begged him. Dr. Tailor looked down without sympathy and pulled out his scalpel. The moment the young woman saw it, she shrieked and backed away. There was a hint of a smile on the doctor's face. "I'll take this one. She'll be a screamer."

"Very good. Do you see any more that interest you?"

The doctor studied the other women some more. He noticed one was glaring at him. She had short mousy hair and looked a lot healthier than the others. "Her. I want that one. I believe I'm ready to see the other room now."

Ewan hesitated. "There's only two in the last room. One's so beat up, I seriously doubt she's even conscious. But we have a really cute one that's only 14. That one has a lot of spunk from what I could tell in the brief moment I saw them bring her in."

The doctor remained silent until they reached the door. "I'd like to see them both. Open the door please."

When Ewan opened the door, there was an eerie silence. The doctor stepped into the doorway and stood still for what seemed like an eternity. The bald guy was in the room with his two most recent catches. One was the 14 year old- completely nude, tied, gagged and struggling to get free. The other one was none other than Raine. Her entire body was blue and purple with bruises. Like the other one, she was also fully nude, tied up and gagged. Her face was swollen from being hit. She wasn't moving- just laying there like a lifeless corpse. In fact, she only managed to open one eye to see the sadistic doctor standing in front of her. She slowly closed it before sinking into another unconscious sleep.

Dr. Tailor backed slowly out of the doorway and looked down at the children before looking back at Ewan. "The weather isn't showing any signs of clearing up, is it?"

Ewan stiffened. _'The code. That's the code. This man is…'_ Ewan shook his head in response. "No sir, the rain is quite heavy; but the umbrellas are all were they need to be. There's plenty to go around."

"Keep the children dry. I would like to evaluate these ladies further." The doctor mouthed something to Ewan that was just barely audible. "Lock it."

Ewan nodded his head as the doctor stepped back into the room. The bald guy studied the doctor as the door closed. "Well, do you want one of these or not?"

As the sound of the deadbolt locking confirmed there was no getting out, the doctor decided to remove his hat. A mess of wild black hair fell out of it. The doctor threw his hat to the side and removed his wire rimmed glasses. "You really did a number on the girl that's sleeping over there. The teenager is in so much better condition."

"Yeah, the bitch knew some sort of crazy martial art when we picked her up. She busted my fucking lip, so I busted her back."

"I see." The doctor took his coat off and dropped it as he approached Raine. His hand brushed lightly against her purple cheek before moving down to her neck to check for a pulse.

Her abductor looked puzzled. "Don't tell me you actually want that bitch! And what's up with you taking all of your clothes off? Are you going to fuck her right here?"

The doctor rose slowly to his feet and sighed. "No, no. I'm afraid the only person who's going to get _'fucked'_ tonight is you." A word of profanity had never sounded so clean and articulated.

"W-what… aahhhhh!" Raine's abductor screamed in pain as he pulled at the scalpel that Doctor L had used as a throwing knife. It buried itself into the man's shoulder. The man quickly pulled it out and lunged at L. He was very surprised to see the bottom of L's foot pounding into his face the moment he entered striking distance. Though L's kicks were much more precise and stronger than Raine's had been, the bald guy still wasn't going to be defeated so easily. He bolted up off of the floor and charged at L again. In the seconds the man threw a punch, L had dodged and allowed himself to fall to the ground with a sweeping kick. The move sent the man's legs flying out from under him. Though the man was a lot bigger than L, he lacked in agility. It didn't take L long to wear him down, though he did manage to take a few punches in the process.

In the end, L landed a butterfly kick and the guy didn't have the energy left to get back up. L had used yet another tracking device right before the fight started to direct Wedy to his coordinates. As he climbed on top of the guy and pinned his arms down with his feet, he heard Wedy talking to him through the air vent. "Ryuzaki! Do you need help with this guy?"

L didn't bother to look away from his new captive. "No. Just get her out of this awful place. Use my coat to cover her up with. She needs immediate medical attention. I will shortly follow. I have unfinished business with this man."

"Right." As Wedy worked her magic with breaking and entering, L pressed his scalpel into the man's throat- just enough to break the skin.

"It would be so easy… for me to slice deep into your flesh with this blade. I want to more than anything. I want to see you bleed for what you did to her." L's eyes were dead and empty. He was beginning to lose himself to his inner turmoil again. The more L focused on the man's face, the more his vision started skewing the image into something else. In time, L no longer saw the face of Raine's abductor. Instead, he saw the face of the man who had butchered his mother 20 years earlier. The hallucination completed L's madness. He slid the blade lightly, yet firmly across the guy's throat. It still wasn't hard enough to break more than the top layer of skin.

"I'm not so little and defenseless anymore, am I old man? I could kill you right now. There isn't anyone here to stop me. You're just another casualty of the war that's about to take place." L inhaled a deep breath and then exhaled very slowly. He was trying hard to control the adrenaline his anger was creating. L had a choice to make. He had to decide if he had it in him to murder someone in cold blood. His reasons for it were more than justified. The man had almost killed his Raine. L's anger was demanding justice for Raine, but it was also demanding justice for his mother. He clenched his teeth and forced his eyes to close. In the moment that followed, L made his final decision.

"Do you want to know why I'm _not_ going to kill you?" L didn't expect an answer from the man, so he kept going. "I'm not going to kill you because I'm not your son. Therefore, I have no desire to follow in your footsteps." He removed the scalpel from the man's throat. He was about to get off of the man when he suddenly remembered something he had noticed before the fight began. L removed his foot from the man's right arm and grabbed the man's wrist. "Before I forget, I'm going to need that chain bracelet back." L twisted the man's wrist to the point of breaking it. While the man cried out in pain, L removed Raine's stolen bracelet by simply undoing the clasp. "I guess breaking your wrist was unnecessary after all. As Raine would probably say in this situation… 'oops.'"

L finally got off of the man and backed up to the open air vent. Without another word or any regret, he made his escape. Wedy was struggling to carry the still unconscious Raine. L quickly caught up with her. "I'll take her now. Thank you for everything, Wedy."

"Not a problem, Ryuzaki. I'm relieved we got her back. You ready to give the signal now?" Wedy patted L on the shoulder and held a radio transmitter up for L to speak in. They started walking as he spoke.

L's synthetic voice blared through the police commissioner's head set. "The moles are in place and ready. It will be obvious which ones they are once you enter. One of them is guarding three children at the back pickup area. Do not apprehend him. Your men are to help him guide the children to safety. The captives are being held in sections 2c and 4a of your map." L reached the van just as he was finishing his orders. Watari opened the back door of the van from the inside. He threw his hand over his mouth and gasped in horror when he saw the condition that Raine was in.

L very carefully handed Raine to Watari and took the radio from Wedy. His voice was as cold as an ice cap when he gave his final command. "Take them down. Now."

* * *

**I know you're probably saying... "WTF?" How is it that L posed as Lind L. Tailor and how is it that Tailor is connected to any of this? It'll be explained next chapter.**


	26. Hold Me Close

**I Do Not Own Death Note or the characters affiliated with it!**

**A/N: Well, a 3-2 vote on my Deviant Art poll says that I should write a Christmas one-shot featuring L and Raine and try and have it uploaded before the 25th. I'm going to try my best to make that happen, but my Holidays are normally so crazy and stressful, there's still a very small chance it might not be finished in time. Wish me luck with my challenge! ^_^**

**

* * *

**It had been three days since the raid at the paper factory. The operation had been a success. All of the captives had been rescued and most of those involved in the illegal operation had been arrested. L's strategy of herding all of the hunters to one place was recognized as an act of brilliance (though L himself didn't actually get any credit for it.) The authorities always took credit for all of L's accomplishments. L didn't really care, of course. Praise and recognition meant absolutely nothing to him.

The amount of bloodshed was minimal. The moles that L placed had strategically cut off access to the rooms where surpluses of weapons and artillery were stored. Again, it had been through the careful planning and maneuvering of one man that enabled the operation to go as smoothly as it had. Ewan, the man who had played '_Doctor Tailor's'_ tour guide, had acted as L's main eyes and ears. Ewan never knew that the man he had met that night was none other than L, himself. He hadn't even been aware that the doctor visit was little more than a ploy up until the moment L had revealed the doctor as another mole.

Ewan had been the one responsible for sending information directly to L. When he intercepted the conversation between Dr. Tailor and Carl Heltman, he forwarded the transcript to L along with a few of his own footnotes. Ewan loved putting his own two cents in. The transcript of the phone conversation itself hadn't been the key piece of information L had needed to move forward. He was the one who had placed the call, after all. L had counted on Ewan's footnotes. Ewan had written at the bottom of the transcript, _"Heltman has ordered all hunters to bring catches to the factory. He wants this man to have his pick! You have to do something! This man will torture and kill the children if he gets them! I don't know if I can just stand back and watch him take them away! You can't let it happen! I need an order from you, now!"_

It was Ewan's footnote that had confirmed what L needed to know. L's phone call had successfully fooled Heltman. The women and children were being dragged out of their hiding places. He didn't reply to Ewan's message. If Ewan had known from the very beginning that the doctor was actually an outside mole, his demeanor might have changed- and that would have risked blowing L's cover. L couldn't risk Ewan getting nervous and not acting natural. Leaving him in the dark up until the last minute had been a necessary evil.

The idea of posing as Doctor Tailor was a slight risk. Dr. Tailor was a sadistic murderer who had dropped out of medical school to pursue a career in understanding human pain through surgical experiments. He purchased many of his victims from slave markets around the world. He was very fond of dissecting his victims alive. L had exposed him several months earlier and Tailor was quickly arrested and tried in secrecy. Tailor was found guilty of murder in thirteen different countries. None of these countries wanted it getting out that slave markets actually existed on their soil (even if they _were there_ illegally), so each and every country signed a secret agreement that Tailor's arrest would never be made public.

Because Tailor's arrest had never been made public, none of the black markets knew he had been apprehended. If Tailor went months without buying from Singapore, they assumed he had switched to the Los Angeles market. If the LA market hadn't heard from him, they assumed he had moved on to the European trades. He jumped back and forth from city to city, continent to continent. Tailor's love of variety had worked to L's advantage when Heltman called the market in Singapore for a background check on the doctor. None of the markets had any way of knowing that Tailor was in custody.

After everything was over, the UK market had collapsed and Raine was safe. Raine suffered several broken ribs and was covered in scrapes and bruises. The medical examiners had put her on bed rest and prescribed her a strong pain medication. Raine had spent the past two days in her condo, sleeping for most of it. L never left her side unless he thought she was waking up. Wedy and Watari helped care for her when she was awake. L's guilt was too much to allow him to face her. He felt responsible for her abduction.

L's behavior hadn't gone unnoticed by Wedy or Watari. Wedy always gave him a dirty look whenever she was around. Eventually, she had to say something. "You're a real jerk. You know that? She really needs you to be there for her right now and you walk out of the room every single time she starts to stir."

"I highly doubt I'm the person she wants to see right now. I believe the company that you and Watari are providing is more than adequate. She's very fond of both of you."

"Coward." Wedy placed a fresh pitcher of water on the nightstand by Raine's bed and left L alone to sulk. He sat perched in a chair pulled up beside Raine's bed. Every so often, he would hold her hand or kiss her lightly on the forehead if she moaned in her sleep. L tried to keep his touches to an absolute minimum. Raine had been covered with unwelcome touches during her abduction. L wasn't sure if his touches would be just as unwelcome. A simple touch from anyone could trigger a flashback to her bad experience. In fact, there was a good chance her body had yet to realize it was no longer in danger. Raine was so out of it from the strong pain medication, she didn't appear aware of her surroundings during her brief times of wakefulness. It was as though her mind had traveled to a different place to escape her pain. It was a common defense tactic of rape and torture victims.

Eventually, Watari came into the room with a tray of coffee and cake for L. He spoke quietly so he wouldn't disturb Raine's sleep. "If you'd like to take a break, I'd be more than happy to sit in here with her for awhile."

"I'm fine, Watari. Thank you."

"May I ask why you find it so necessary not to leave her side as she sleeps, yet you run and hide when she wakes up?"

"Raine was abducted while under my protection. For that reason alone, I have no right to be here. I should be locked away with the rest of them for failing her. I don't want to upset her if she wakes up and sees me here; but at the same time… I can't bring myself to leave her."

Watari placed his hand on L's shoulder. "Don't drown yourself in guilt. You have _every_ right to be here. If not for your quick planning and courage to face the enemy, she would still be in harm's way. In fact, she might not even be alive. I sincerely think that it would make Miss Raine's day to wake up and see you here with her."

"You sound so sure of that, Watari. What am I to her other than an ex-lover who broke her heart with my own brand of cruelty?"

"Have you told her your true feelings?"

"Yes… more than once. She thought I was lying to her on both occasions."

"I don't think I understand how two people who are so gifted in communication could have so much trouble dealing with a _mis_communication."

"I told her to leave that night, Watari. In fact, I practically begged her to leave. I even had a new life arranged for her beforehand because I knew she'd never forgive me."

"And was it a sincere request, or was it something you said in the heat of a bad situation?"

"What does it matter? I still said it."

"Once your initial anger had passed, you went after her with some small hope of getting her back. Your actions spoke much louder than your words. Though you may have made arrangements for her to teach at Wammy House, I don't think you did it solely for the reasons you're dwelling on. I believe there was another reason. Am I right?"

L didn't answer. Still keeping his arm on L's shoulder, Watari leaned down to make contact with L's eyes. L was staring at the floor. "Look at me, child." L was hesitant, but he finally looked at Watari with a respectful silence- expecting a lecture. "You were never properly socialized growing up; and I accept the blame for that. Your emotional maturity never had the chance to fully develop. Now that you're a young man and you've found a love interest; you've got a lot of catching up to do. People get angry with each other, L. They say things they don't mean; be it out of anger or because their feelings have been hurt. It doesn't necessarily mean that the love they share has died. You can't dwell on one bad occasion when you've shared so many more happy occasions with Miss Raine."

L's mouth opened as though he were about to say something. The only thing that came out was a sigh. He looked back down at the floor. Watari cut straight to the point. "Are you still in love with her?"

"Yes." L answered without looking up. His voice was a broken whisper.

"Is it your wish to keep putting distance between the two of you?"

"No."

"And yet, you go against your own wish. Does that make any sense?"

"… No."

"I rest my case, child. It makes absolutely no sense that the two of you obviously want to be together, yet you're both denying it to yourselves."

L closed his eyes and put his hand on Watari's shoulder. It was a touching scene to see both of them using the same reassuring and comforting gesture. "Watari, please don't call me 'child' anymore."

"What else would you have me call you? You have so many aliases; I never know which one to use to get your undivided attention in situations like these."

"In a situation such as this…" L brought his index finger to his lip and looked up at the ceiling as if he were thinking about it. "I believe I would prefer it if you referred to me as _'son'_."

A huge grin spread across Watari's face. He had to look away to keep from weeping. "Of course… son. Well, before I forget…" Watari stood up and quickly regained his full composure. "Roger stopped by about half an hour ago and left a gift basket from her students. Would you like me to bring in now, or should I wait until Miss Raine wakes up again?"

"I suppose you could wait until she's awake to bring it in. She might not notice it right away if it's in here when she wakes up."

"Very well. I trust I'll know she's waking up when I see you bolting out of her room?"

"It's very possible. I haven't exactly gathered my nerve to speak to her yet."

"You're L. You've never lacked the nerve to do anything. At any rate, make sure and let Wedy know when Miss Raine wakes up so that she may assist her to the restroom if needed."

"Yes. Thank you, Watari."

L stayed in his chair next to Raine's bed as Watari walked out of the bedroom and closed the door. He didn't find it surprising that Raine hadn't stirred any during his conversation with Watari. Her sleep was almost as deep as it had been the night he had found her. L began to let his memories go back to that night. He had tried so hard to convince himself to leave her in the rain. The possibility that she had been planted there had been so high. L didn't want to imagine what would have happened to her if he had in fact walked away and left her.

He remembered how awkward it was to dress her in his clothes after he'd found her and smiled to himself. Though he probably didn't realize it, his face had turned rosy red from the memory. He remembered the time he had first saw Raine with her eyes open. She had been playing her flute on the balcony. His sleeping beauty was so full of life then. Though in the beginning, L had always acted as though he was annoyed with Raine's company, he had actually been intrigued by her. He was like a child who couldn't stop staring at Christmas lights or a rainbow.

L frowned slightly as he remembered how he had initially tried to fight his attraction to Raine. It had caused him to hurt her feelings on more than one occasion. It had been on the night in New Orleans when he had fallen ill that he first realized he was growing infatuated with her. The speed at which it was happening was more than he thought he could handle. The fact that Raine had cared for him in one of his weakest moments (despite knowing L had lied to her about who he was) was the single event that made L realize he was falling for her.

L couldn't resist holding her hand as he thought of all of the memories they had made in the time they had traveled together. When he looked at her now and saw the bruises that now covered her; he closed his eyes and bit his bottom lip almost to the point of bleeding. Though there were no sobs, tears began to form in his eyes. He continued to bite on his lip to keep himself from crying. He couldn't cry. It just wasn't something that L did. Not without the rain to cover it up. In fact, the rain normally did all of his crying _for_ him. L kissed Raine's hand and squeezed it gently. "I'm sorry, Raine. I'm so very, very sorry."

* * *

The wind howled in the cold darkness of night as the rain poured. In the parking lot of a small hotel, a man lay dying on the ground. A large blade had entered his back as he was unlocking the door to his rental car. He never saw the assailant. He had only heard the cold and callous voice. "You thought you could take her away from me? Well, you can have the filthy little hoar. She and that child will meet you in Hell tonight. I'll slice them both open with this blade." The machete sliced down into the man's body as the murderer withdrew it. The shock had taken the his voice away. The pain had paralyzed him.

Every rain spirit in the region exploded as one of their oldest and most respected brothers called out to them in the silent language of the elements. Upon hearing the cries of the rain, the wind responded. Standing now above the man was a young woman in an exotic sapphire outfit. The tantric styled gown was as transparent as she was. The metal band she wore upon her brow was the crown of the sky. She studied the man with a curious eye. They had obviously never met before. "You look like you're in a lot of pain. I don't think you're body is going to make it. Why don't you leave it? Are you not strong enough?"

In what little power he could muster, he managed to speak to her without using his voice. "That's not why I called you! Please, I beg of you! Save Keiko and Adian! Don't let my small child and his mother fall victim to that monster!"

"Keiko… and Adian… a child of the elements?"

"Yes! He's my son! You have to get him away from here! He's just a child! Please! Have mercy and help him! Just… please!"

"Where are they? Has your child developed his language yet?"

"Yes! He'll tell you where he is! Please, just hurry!"

"I will find your loved ones and carry them to safety then. You have my word."

There was no answer from the man on the ground. He was gone. The conversation had gone by a lot faster than it would have in any human language. In less than a minute after she had appeared by the man's side, she had resumed the form of the wind and was flying through the breezes; listening for a call. The voices of the rain were so loud and frantic; she had trouble deciphering what any of them were saying. Most of the ones she was able to understand demanded justice for the brutal murder of their brother. She found Keiko and Adian's home first. The front door was open and the house was completely empty. She scolded the rain spirits for not controlling their outbursts. "If you don't shut up, then I'll never be able to hear the child!"

She listened intently to the sounds of the surrounding area. As the voices of the rain began to settle, she heard the one small voice of despair that she had been looking for. "Stop it! She's bleeding! No! You're hurting her! Mommy!"

As soon as she had tuned in, she responded. "Adian? Adian, tell me where you are! My name is Akaia. I can help you and your mother!" Akaia rode the wind as she listened for a reply. All she was getting back were faint sobs. In both her and the rain's frustration, the power of a typhoon swept over the island. "Adian? Adian! You have to be brave! Tell me where you are!"

"It's… scary… and cold… in here. The bell…is so loud." His little voice was so weak. Akaia knew instantly it wasn't just fear that was making it difficult for him to communicate.

"A bell? I hear it! It's coming from the other side of the island!" With the speed of the wind, she was instantly at the front door of the cathedral. A strong gust of wind forced open the heavy doors at the front entrance. The wind blew through the cathedral wildly; and at the entrance stood the young wind spirit, Akaia. Her long ringlets of brown hair blew wildly in the wind. What Akaia saw when she entered horrified her. _'I'm too late.' _

An angry man stood over a dying child. His hand held the handle of the blade that had been pinned through the boy's chest. The child was spitting up blood and jerking like a fish out of water. His body was trying hard to fight its death. Akaia's eyes caught sight of two adult corpses. One had been sliced open and stabbed in the back. The other had bullet wounds to his chest. It was a horrific scene to take in.

Akaia broke her first rule. She made herself visible to the man who stood over the child. With an evil smirk, the man pulled out his revolver with his free hand and fired at Akaia twice. When he realized the bullets were going right through her, he backed away from Adian without bothering to withdraw the blade. "What the fuck are you?"

Akaia made a cut off signal with her arms, creating a huge gust of wind that blew the man up against the altar. "What I am is the beginning of your end."

* * *

Raine woke up before her memories had a chance to finish replaying in her dream. Her eyes slowly moved around the bedroom. It was empty. In her arms was a stuffed panda bear. She ran her hand over its soft head and pulled it close to her. Her fingers played with the silver necklace it wore. _'This is his bear. Does that mean he's been here? There's a chance Watari brought it by.' _Her fingers traced the silver L on the necklace. _'Didn't he say there was a name inscribed on the back? I didn't bother to look for such a detail the night I left this with him. L said he used it as his surname.' _

She brought the bear close to her face and turned the newly polished emblem around. It took her groggy eyes a moment to adjust themselves to the small writing. _'It says… Lawliet.'_ She nudged the bear's forehead with her nose. _'He gave me his surname. He could have given me any random name, but he gave me his own.'_ Raine felt herself wanting to cry. She wanted to see him more than anything; but she was sure L was probably upset with her for putting herself in such a bad situation after he had taken so many precautions to keep her safe.

Raine inhaled a deep breath and winced in pain. Her broken ribs made breathing very painful. She tried very hard not to think about what had happened to her during her abduction. The more she did, the filthier she felt. She wanted to soak in a nice hot bath, but she wasn't sure if she had the strength to go through with it. The master bathroom was connected to her bedroom. It wasn't too far of a walk. Very slowly, she sat up. The minute she had her feet on the floor and stood up, Raine almost fell over with a dizzy spell. Every part of her body was sore, but she managed to walk towards the bathroom.

She was only a few feet away from the bathroom door when it suddenly opened. Out walked L. His hair was wet and he was wearing one of Raine's t-shirts. The moment he saw Raine, he froze. They looked at each other for awhile. Neither of them were sure what to say. Raine finally smiled shyly and spoke. "I see you've made yourself at home."

L looked apologetic. "I fell asleep while I was holding my coffee and spilled it all over me; so I borrowed one of your shirts and took a shower." He looked down in shame. "I realize it was rude of me to do such a thing without your permission, but you know I normally don't care if others think of my actions as inappropriate. For you, however; I sincerely apologize. The amount of sugar I put into my coffee makes it rather sticky and I was in real need of a shower… "

Raine slowly walked towards him. His articulate rambling made it obvious that he was nervous. If she didn't interrupt him, he'd just keep going. "L, I don't mind that you borrowed a shirt and took a shower. I actually think black looks very nice on you. The butterfly on the front isn't really _you_ though. You're normally not one who falls asleep in the middle of an activity. You must be pretty exhausted." She stopped and closed her eyes to try and shake off the dizziness.

L closed more of the distance between them so he could catch her in case she fell. "You shouldn't be up and walking around. If you need to use the restroom, then I shall call Wedy in here to assist you. And it's a lot easier to fall asleep when there aren't any cases in front of me to solve." He wanted to move even closer to her, but he hesitated.

Raine frowned at his hesitation. "Are you keeping your distance because you think I'm filthy? Am I filth because of what happened to me?"

"No. That isn't it at all. You're not filthy. Please, don't think for even a millisecond that you are." L moved closure, but he still fought his urge to touch her. "I'd really like to wrap my arms around you and never let you go; but I'm afraid to touch you due to your physical and emotional injuries. I don't want to hurt you… ever again."

Raine slowly put her arms around him and gave him as firm of a hug as her injuries would allow her. "I don't know how you managed to get me away from those men, but you don't know how very grateful I am. I knew you would find me. I'm sorry you had to go through so much trouble."

L was savoring every second of Raine's closeness. He closed his eyes and almost lost himself. "I wouldn't define making sure you're safe as _trouble_. I would define it as _love_." He very carefully returned her hug. For the first time in over a month, his mind felt almost completely calm. "I love you, Raine. I swear on my very existence it isn't a lie." L lightly kissed her on the forehead. "I'm sorry I failed you."

"How can you possibly think you failed me? You've gone out of your way since the night you found me to take care of me. Even after we ended our relationship, you still thought enough of me to make sure I didn't end up homeless on the streets. I would still be in captivity and half dead right now if not for you."

"You should have never been abducted to begin with- not while under my protection. If you would have been with me…"

Raine brought her index finger to L's lips. "I would have wandered away from you just as easily as I did with Wedy. How many times did you scold me for it while we were traveling? I was more than aware of the area abductions and I was even educated about the very trick that I fell for. Sometimes bad things happen, L… no matter how many precautions you take. It's just part of life. The worlds are just as cruel as they are beautiful." Raine's breaths were getting short and irregular. "I think… I need to go lay back down. It's so painful to breathe."

"Do you need me to carry you?"

Raine laughed softly to herself as she turned around and headed back towards the bed. "No. But, it would be nice if you could hold me once I get there. I really miss that."

"So do I." L helped Raine back over to the bed and rested beside her. His fingers intertwined with hers. "How will we greet tomorrow, Raine?"

"Honestly, I hope we'll greet it together."

"You would have me back after how I treated you?"

Raine leaned in (with a slight grimace of pain) and kissed L on the cheek. "Adian… L Lawliet. I love you, and I want to be with you."

L smiled sheepishly. "I love you too, Raine. I want us to be together again." He couldn't help but laugh at his cheesy line. In his excitement, he had completely forgotten to use another language. The man known for his chronic insomnia had no trouble falling asleep that evening. L had his Raine back.

* * *

**I couldn't make a very affectionate reunion here because Raine is obviously still recovering from her abduction. There are only two or three chapters left now. The climax of the story is pretty much over. The remaining chapters are just meant to wrap up the loose ends and answer the lingering questions. I normally have a lot of trouble with endings, so I'm getting a little nervous. Happy Holidays! =)**


	27. That Night

In the days that followed after Raine's abduction and rescue, L took a break from solving cases day and night. He decided to save his work for the late hours of the night while Raine was asleep. He spent the first week and a half with her at her condo. Her students from Wammy House constantly stopped by to visit her. Mello and Matt stopped by on one occasion to deliver another gift basket. When Mello saw that L was there, he almost went into a fit. His eyes got so big; they almost looked like they were bulging out. "No way! There's just no way!"

L glanced at Mello before fixing his eyes on all the sweets in the gift basket. "You shouldn't look so stunned. I _did_ tell you that you would see me again, after all." He took the basket from a very confused Matt. Matt had never met L in person, so he had no idea what Mello was going into conniptions about. His eyebrows arched high when L addressed him by his name. "Thank you, Mail; or would you prefer it if I simply referred to you as Matt?"

"How…" Matt looked spooked.

"I'm one of the head overseers of the orphanage. I know all of your names." L cut his eyes back over to Mello. _'Mail Jeevas- your most trusted friend. Will you share my true identity with him, Mello? Or do you truly understand the importance of keeping L a letter of the alphabet and nothing more? It's a letter that must never have a face.' _

"How could you _not_ know who he is, Matt? This is Wammy's kid… the heir to his estate. He's sort of hard to miss when he's visiting the campus." Mello had respected L's identity. None of the current students of Wammy House knew that Mr. Wammy was also Watari. That knowledge had left with the graduation of B's class. Mello had made the connection, but that was only because he was obsessed with becoming L's successor. L had only revealed himself to Mello because Mello had been smart enough to figure it out on his own. Near might have figured it out when he went one on one with L playing Go; but if he did, he certainly didn't share it. L was pleased to see that Mello had obviously not boasted to all of his friends about meeting him in person.

"It's true. I am Wammy's son. It's very nice to meet you, Matt."

"Yeah, you too." Matt extended his hand, which L had to force himself to shake.

"So…" Mello eyed L suspiciously. "Are you here to visit Ms. Lawliet on business?"

"I'm here on behalf of my father. I simply wanted to assure her that her position as a linguistics professor will be waiting for her as soon as she has fully recovered."

"Right." Mello knew that L was blowing a bunch of smoke, but he decided not to pursue the issue any further.

"Well, that's a relief." Matt's comment wasn't expected. "I was starting to worry that I had competition."

The look on L's face told Mello all he needed to know. A devilish smile crossed Mello's face. "I thought so." Mello looked at Matt to throw off who the comment was directed to. "I knew you had a crush on her, Matt. You made it so damn obvious when you made your online gaming character! It looks just like her and you even gave it her name! You might as well forget it. I seriously doubt she'd date anyone in our age group." Mello had left out the fact that Matt had a gaming character for every female he knew. Matt liked females, period. He didn't discriminate against poor features such as urine colored eyes or frizzy curls with split ends.

"Hey, I can still dream, right?"

"Of course you can." L tried to look bored with the conversation. "A boy without dreams is like tea with no sugar." He was trying to bring the conversation to a close. L assured himself that Matt was too young to attract Raine's interest. He knew that Matt was well known for swooning teenage girls just by walking through the door, but he was pretty sure that Matt wasn't Raine's type. L shut off the alarm for a potential jealous comment and smiled slightly for a split second.

"Mello and Matt! What a great surprise!" The three turned to see Raine standing in her bedroom doorway. Both Matt and Mello's eyes grew wider when they saw the condition their teacher was in. The bruises on her body were still pretty dark, though the swelling in her face was gone. She still looked pitiful. Raine narrowed her eyes when she saw how they were looking at her. "Yeah, I know. I got beat up. Poor, pitiful me." She rolled her eyes and slowly walked over to L, who was holding her newest gift basket. Her ribs were still very sore, but they weren't anywhere near as bad as they had been the week before. "Oh, is this for me? Wow! You guys are great! Thanks so much!" She noticed two cards inside. "Are both of those cards for me?"

"Ah…" Mello scratch his head and looked down. "No. The one in the red envelope is for Wedy. I thought maybe you could give it to her for me… I mean… for the class."

Raine had to bite her bottom lip to keep from laughing. She wasn't sure why she found Mello's obvious attraction to Wedy so hilarious, but it never failed to lighten her mood. Even L couldn't help but smirk. He bit down on his thumb as he thought to himself. _'It's nice to see I'm not the only genius that's capable of falling ill to love sickness.' _

Obviously uncomfortable with Raine's battered appearance, Mello and Matt decided to take their leave. As they walked out back to Wammy House, Matt made an observation. "That was L, wasn't it?"

Mello stopped in his tracks. "What makes you think that?"

"You never freak out like that unless it somehow involves L or Near; and that definitely wasn't Near."

"Damn! You have to promise me you won't mention this to anyone- especially that albino twerp!"

"God, Mello. You think I'm a moron, don't you? Like I wasn't going to figure it out."

"You're always so lost in your video games; you're only half in touch with reality!"

Matt sighed. "Whatever. Reality is boring. I guess Ms. Lawliet is L's love interest. You wouldn't think a character like him could score such a beautiful lady."

Mello shrugged. "He's rich. Women love men with lots of cash. It doesn't matter what they look like or how they carry themselves."

Matt looked at the cracks on the sidewalk as he walked over them and scowled. "She looked bad, didn't she? It makes me feel like a total asshole for being so deviant in her class."

"Yeah, we were all jerks. She's not that bad of a person. She actually seems sort of nice when she isn't moping around about whatever the hell it is she mopes around about. Not to mention she introduced me to my future lover."

Matt laughed at Mello, who was obviously referring to Wedy. "Oh dude, get over it already! That woman has got to be in her thirties! And I promise I won't say anything about L. He's just as much my mentor as he is yours."

"Thanks, Matt. I know I can trust you."

"Yeah." Matt pulled out his handheld console, which indicated he was about to turn off the rest of the world so he could turn on his game. "I know I can trust me too."

"I guess these chocolate covered cherries are yours, L. I can't stand cherries." Raine was looking threw her gift basket when she noticed them.

"You should at least try one."

"I know what cherries taste like, and I don't like them."

"I'll have to correct you. You know what cherry _flavoring_ tastes like. To my knowledge, you've never tasted a _real_ cherry before."

"Shouldn't it taste like… cherry flavoring? I mean, cherry flavoring is obviously meant to taste like cherries, or it obviously wouldn't be called _cherry_ flavoring."

L took the open box from Raine and popped a few in his mouth. "Mmmm. That just means more for me."

Raine smiled at him. "It's a shame those don't have cherry stems. I love that little trick you do."

L put a couple more cherries in his mouth and talked as he chewed. "My dear, I assure you I don't need cherry stems for that trick. In fact, I'll show you one day." He left it at that with no intention to elaborate. Raine thought about his comment for a minute before an idea popped into her head. She blushed and giggled shyly. Raine didn't want to say what she had just thought about out loud; just in case there was a chance that L had been referring to something totally different (and less perverted).

Determined to change her thought pattern, she continued to look through the gift basket. "Oh, look! Raspberry tea! Why don't I make us some?"

"No." L swallowed his food and stood up. "That won't be necessary. You're ribs haven't fully mended themselves yet. You shouldn't be out of bed at all." L walked into the kitchen and filled a kettle with water. It was the first time Raine had seen L prepare his own tea since the night she had met him. He wasn't anywhere near as loud about it as he had been the first time.

Raine closed her eyes and concentrated on her breathing as L shuffled through the cabinets_. 'Why did they have to kick me in the damn ribs? Why couldn't they have broken my arms or legs… or even fingers? At least then, I could breathe without any problems.' _She opened her eyes and admired L as he pulled the kettle off of the stove_. _Somehow, he managed to hold a kettle full of water in thesame delicate way he held almost everything else. He had been so attentive to her every little need. It was very out of character for the world's greatest detective- the spoiled prince of Q. Wammy. Perhaps there were just certain levels of caring that were powerful enough to make a person do things for someone that they'd normally never do for others (including themselves).

Raine gave him a smitten smile; but it wasn't long before it turned into a frown. Raine had been putting off telling L that she regained all of her memories. _'If I tell him about what happened on the night of the cathedral slayings, would it really help him with his nightmare and his fear of bells and cathedrals? What if it only makes it worse? What if jarring his memories only reopens his emotional wound?'_

L sat the tray on the table and poured Raine a cup of tea before sitting down to pour his own. They sat across from each other in silence for a few minutes. The only sounds were the low hum of the ceiling fan and L's spoon lightly hitting the sides of his cup as he stirred in the sugar. As L set his spoon to the side, he felt Raine's hand rest on top of his. He studied her hand on top of his as he took his first sip of tea in silence. As soon as he put his cup down, he gently placed his other hand on top of hers and met her eyes in a curious stare. L knew just by her expression that there was something she wanted to say.

His fingers tickled the top of Raine's hand as he waited on her to say something. After a huge moment of hesitation, Raine finally spoke. "I have my memories... all of them. Well, not _all_ of them; but enough to know who I am and who you are."

L's hand squeezed hers. "I already knew that, Raine. The earth spirit informed me."

Raine laughed nervously. "So, the two of you have been conversing? I hope he's behaved himself."

"His information was very useful. At the same time, he told me absolutely nothing."

Raine sighed. "Yeah, that sounds like Onasisk."

"He has a very peculiar name."

"And you think _Lawliet_ isn't a peculiar name?

L looked up at the ceiling as if he was pondering the question. "I suppose you have a point."

"So, what _did_ he tell you?"

"Lawliet is actually my real father's name. He was apparently murdered on the same night as my mother."

"Lawliet is your father's name? I had never met your father before the night of his death, and he was dead before he could tell me his name. Still, I know I heard his name on several occasions after he died. I'm surprised I didn't recognize the name as his when I saw it on your panda bear's necklace." Raine hesitated. "If you've known all this time that my memories have returned, why have you not said anything?"

L remained silent for a minute. He let go of Raine's hand long enough to take another sip of tea before answering her. "I almost lost you; and now I have you back. That's all that matters to me. Our present and future together are my main areas of focus right now. The past isn't going anywhere."

"Then you aren't interested in learning anymore about your nightmare? I can understand that; but tell me, have you accepted what you are?"

"I don't recall saying I wasn't interested. It just isn't my top priority at the moment. As I said, the past isn't going anywhere. Your full recovery is more important."

"You haven't answered my question. Do you except what you are?"

L closed his eyes and sighed. He knew he was about to say something that any scholar would laugh at. "Apparently, I'm a human being who has an atypical spirit."

"That's an interesting way of wording it. I like it. Do you remember how to talk to the elements? I know you do on a subconscious level, but can you do it at will?"

"I tried to speak with the rain the night you were abducted. However, it was a wasted effort. The rain had nothing to say."

"But the rain did have something to say. You _are_ the rain, L. You told me to sleep as long as I could; because my abductors wouldn't be at their worse unless I was fully alert."

L's eyes widened. "You… heard that?"

"Elements often use dream taps as a way of communicating. It's a useful trick to know when living in a human body."

L stared at his tea cup. "I only closed my eyes for a moment. I pictured myself holding you… and I could feel all the pain you were going through. I could even feel the anger and doubt that you felt towards me, though it seemed to have lifted at the end. I was unaware that I was actually communicating with you."

"Do you want to know why you survived that night at the cathedral?"

L hesitated by sipping his tea several times. "I would like to know, but what I'd like to know even more is why you were put into a suspended state of animation for 20 years."

Raine sighed and looked away. "He told you about that too, did he? Well, to be accurate. It was actually 17 years. Onasisk apparently rounded it off, as I've been doing. My sentence wasn't carried out until three years after I revived you."

"Is that why you were punished; because you revived me?"

"Yes. There can never be a miracle without a price. That's the way miracles work. Balance must be maintained at all times."

"So, you're saying that every time an angel performs a miracle, the angel falls."

"Yes, only an elemental isn't an angel. We might be angels and gods according to human myth; but there is a power out there that reigns supreme over everything that is. It's _that_ power who passes judgment, and it can be very cruel and unforgiving if it has reason to believe you've disrupted its system."

"You weren't a human at that time?"

"No. I was in spirit form. If I would have been a human at that time, I wouldn't have been able to save you."

L gripped his coffee cup tight as he asked his next question. He wasn't even holding it in his usual way. "If you had the power to save me, then why did you not save my parents as well? Would that have made the punishment more severe?" He regretted his question the second it left his mouth. It had sounded selfish and ungrateful. It wasn't something L had originally intended on asking. The words had surfaced out of nowhere.

"Your father instructed me to find you and your mother. He didn't want any assistance for himself. Lawliet died in the middle of our conversation. Your mother was already dead when I found the two of you. It isn't possible to resurrect a corpse with no spirit. You were on your last bit of lifespan when I arrived. Your spirit was so young and you were in such a state of shock…" Tears started forming in Raine's eyes. "You weren't going to make it, Adian! You didn't have the strength to escape your body! Elementals that die so young seldom do! When you looked up at me with those dying eyes and reached out to me… I just couldn't let you die! I had to keep at least half of my promise to your father!"

Raine had started to cry. L put his cup down and stood up; walking over to her side of the table to comfort her. He kneeled down to her eye level and lightly stroked her cheek with his hand. "Please don't cry. I imagine it's painful to do such, given your present condition." He kissed away the tears on her cheeks. "We don't have to discuss this now. I told you it isn't a top priority. I just want you to be happy again."

Raine gasped for a breath her ribs were starting to ache more than ever. "No. I want this out in the open now. You need to know who you are and what happened, or you'll spend the rest of your life running away from a broken memory that's manifested itself into a nightmare."

L kissed her on her forehead. "You need to at least lie down. You still have another week of bed rest left before you return to the doctor. I'll even lie down with you so that we may continue our conversation." He kissed her softly on her lips and smiled.

Raine smiled with a quick laugh through her sobs. "You really are coming out of your shell, aren't you? There's no way you would have been this sweet and sensitive a year ago. You would have sat there and devoured those chocolate cherries while acting only half interested in what I had to say."

"It's a side of me that's meant for your eyes only. I trust you'll never give my secret away?" Her kiss told him his secret was safe.

Akaia stood over the dying child and tried to shake herself out of shock. Adian's dark teary eyes were wide open and staring up at her. His body was still trying to fight its death, but it was very quickly starting to tire. His body soon stopped jerking. With his last ounce of energy, little Adian reached up for Akaia with one arm. _'Mommy… it's so… cold.'_ Not even a second later passed and Akaia was leaning beside the child. The blade was removed with minimal effort. She took what looked like an ordinary stone and forced it deep into the child's wound. His entire body jerked violently in a sudden jolt and then went limp. The entire process took less than three seconds for the wind spirit.

"Adian. Listen to me, sweetie. You're going to get through this. This isn't the end for you."Akaia spoke in a kind and gentle voice through her elemental language. She waited with great concern. _'There's a chance his body will reject the stone.'_ Soon, Adian's eyes closed. He moaned softly as his chest started moving up and down in a steady breathing pattern. Akaia looked down at his wound with relief and touched it with a semi-solid hand. "Sleep now, Adian. You're no longer in any danger." Adian's wound had closed completely. Akaia lifted the child off of the floor and cradled him in her arms, though it appeared as though Adian was floating in mid air.

With child in her arms, she turned to face the man that was still pinned up against the alter by invisible forces. Akaia had cut off a portion of his oxygen supply. He wasn't getting enough air. "Look at you, you pathetic little man." Her voice was cold and deep. To the human ear, it sounded very _un_-human. It wasn't feminine, nor was it masculine. "The elements can kill just as easily as we can create. It isn't a crime for us in the least. You should be grateful the angry water elements haven't destroyed this island with a tsunami. They're showing mercy on the other inhabitants; but they won't show mercy on you."

Akaia was pulling more air out of the man's lungs. His eyes bulged out as he grabbed at his chest and his throat. Akaia had no intention of letting him go. "I am the air that allows you to breathe. Little Adian here accounts for the water that makes up well over half of your body. The earth is the clay from which life is molded and the sun is the fire that allows life to exist on this planet. There could be no life without the elements." Akaia glared at the helpless man. It was her anger that spoke. "You are a worthless low ranking human being. It isn't your place to decide what lives and what dies. You exist because we _allow_ you to exist."

A small tremor could be felt from within the cathedral. It wasn't long before Onasisk was by Akaia's side. "What's going on, Akaia? The water sprites are going on a rampage outside." He looked down at the sleeping child in Akaia's arms. "Aww, Akaia! You found a child for us to raise together! He's cute (even if he is covered in blood). In fact he looks just like…" Onasisk stopped and studied the child. He then took in the rest of his surroundings- the blood covered floors, the headman of the church lying lifeless at the far end of the room, the man that Akaia had rendered helpless and… "Keiko…"

In the next second, Onasisk was kneeling down beside Keiko. He ran his hands over her fatal wounds and closed them with his earth mending touch; but he knew that there would be no reviving her. Keiko was gone. _'Lawliet was so in love with her. He watched her while in his spirit form day and night for years until he couldn't take it anymore. He took his human form and found her, determined to get to know her. Lawliet… that's your child in Akaia's arms, isn't it? Something has happened to you, or Keiko would be alive and safe right now.'_

Onasisk started to grow angry as he stared at Keiko's lifeless corpse. "Akaia, where is the father? I can't hear him! Where is Lawliet?"

Akaia only half heard what Onasisk was asking. She was still too lost in her own anger. "Onasisk, the senior rain spirit has met his permanent demise. I'm fairly sure he didn't escape his body. This man over here murdered him as well as the two human corpses you see before you." She nodded towards the frightened man.

Onasisk bolted up and clenched his fists in anger, turning toward the man in disgust. "You… killed Lawliet of the Rain? You murdered one of the oldest and most respected of our kind- he who had more passion and love for life and the beauty it holds than any other being in existence!" He stomped his foot on the ground, causing the entire building to shake. "Akaia, carry the child to safety. This man's fate is now in my hands. And take whoever's in the bell tower as well. That constant ringing is getting on my nerves!"

"The one in the bell tower? But…"

"I will see to it that his memories of what happened here tonight are erased! No questions, Akaia! Now, leave!"

Akaia made a mean face at Onasisk before making her exit with Adian. She didn't like taking orders. Once outside, she lifted Adian towards the sky and enveloped him in a strange pocket of air. With Adian protected from the cold rain, Akaia let go of him. His little body stayed levitated in the air as Akaia returned to the interior of the cathedral to retrieve the one who was ringing the bell. Soon the ringing had stopped. All that could be heard was the howling wind, the pouring rain, and the faint sound of a flute.

A man suddenly stumbled out the side entrance, seemingly in a trance. He wasn't sleepwalking. In fact, he was being pushed forward by Akaia's wind stream. Akaia had put him into a trance by playing her flute so she wouldn't scare him to death. She had felt the floor shake on several occasions while inside. Though Akaia had no idea what Onasisk intended to do with the man still inside, she had a pretty good idea about how he planned on covering up the events that had perspired.

Once the bell ringer was out of the building; Akaia returned to the airborne Adian, who was in a very deep sleep. It was unlikely he would wake up soon. As Akaia ascended into to the sky with Adian, she looked down to see that over half of the cathedral was crumbling. She was tempted to stay and wait for Onasisk, but she knew she had to get Adian away from there. With the protection of Akaia's air shield, little Adian was carried off into the night.


	28. Crime and Punishment

**I do not own Death Note.**

**A/N: I know I said on my DA journal that chapter 28 was supposed to be the last one; but here it is, and I still haven't finished writing. I'm going to predict the story will conclude in two more chapters. Let's see if I'm actually right this time. **

**This chapter focuses mainly on Raine (plus it's short), so you won't really see any L-like behavior from L, since his part here is pretty much nothing but dialog and no action. Sorry about that. Happy reading! =)**

* * *

It was a dark, but clear night in the desolate woods. Akaia and Adian were now several hundred miles from the island. The moonlight that crept through the trees gave view to a small hot spring. In her solid form, Akaia bathed the blood off of Adian. She drew warmth into herself from the heat of the springs, which made her touch feel almost human. Now that Adian was clean, she could see the mark on his chest where the wound had been. It had the appearance of an ordinary birthmark.

It didn't take Onasisk long to find them. His demeanor was no longer an angry one; as it had been when he learned of Lawliet's death. His expression was solemn as he watched Akaia wash the blood out of Adian's matted hair. "I see the child is well. At least our timing wasn't completely a failure." He sat a couple of items he had brought with him on a nearby rock. "I snooped around in the man's vehicle in hopes of finding some clean clothes for the boy to wear. I assumed the stuffed bear was the child's so I brought it with me. I also brought a blanket that was in the trunk, though it isn't very clean. Other than that, there was nothing in there to indicate foul play. One less thing I had to clean up."

"Why are we covering up the murders? Did you kill that man? It's not like we can get arrested for it. The laws of humans don't apply to us unless we're living amongst them."

"Lawliet's body was located and absorbed into the earth so that he wouldn't suffer the fate of being pickled and locked away in a box. Keiko's was also absorbed so that they could be together in some form. That leaves us with a dead minister and a dead member of the congregation who just happens to now have a missing child… plus a missing wife who's been rumored to be involved with a now missing oceanographer. Do you see where I'm going with this, Akaia?"

"I do; but I still don't really understand why that's our problem. Adian is safe. That's all I really care about."

"I will not let the name of Lawliet be poisoned by the accusations he could face. I closed the bullet wounds inside of the minister's chest so that his cause of death will appear to be a result of the foundation collapse. In order to avoid confusion about Keiko and the boy's whereabouts, I used the DNA from their blood to create cadavers in their likeness. The water sprites… I mean _spirits_… were more than willing to help. The process wasn't as precise as the one used to create our bodies when we return to the human world, but it's enough to fool forensics."

"So… they all died when the cathedral collapsed in the storm? No one is going to buy that. The typhoon wasn't strong enough to bring down half of a building."

"No, but the earthquake I created was. The island sits on a fault line, thankfully. It wasn't hard to do. Don't get upset either. I didn't allow anything to collapse aside from the cathedral, a few condemned buildings and a funeral home. None of them were occupied by living humans."

"You destroyed a funeral home?"

"Well, yes. It was fun. You know I despise the way most humans handle their dead. You can't hold that against me, Love."

"Okay, so how are you explaining the missing senior elemental?"

"I learned from the rain spirits that Lawliet worked as an oceanographer. He had offices set up in science institutions all over the region. I went to the local institution and made it look like he took a boat out for the evening. I even did my impersonation trick so that Lawliet would be seen on the security cameras. What a shame he got caught in the typhoon. Now his body is lost at sea. All they'll ever find is the abandoned boat. This was also accomplished with the cooperation of the rain spirits. He can no longer be connected to the cathedral tragedy."

"And the bell man?"

"His memories have been manipulated to account for why the family was present in the cathedral when it collapsed. He remembers nothing further of the incident. Damn, I'm good! Am I not?" Onasisk laughed at his own boasting.

Akaia rolled her eyes at him. "You still haven't told me how an earth elemental has the power to manipulate memories. None of the other earth elementals I know can do such a thing."

Onasisk grinned boyishly and shrugged. "It's just a little thing I know." He was reluctant to tell her that it was Gukku who erased memories for him as a way of paying off gambling debts. Akaia didn't care much for shinigamis. She saw them not only as leeches, but as true killers. Shinigamis survived off of stolen lifespan stolen from humans. Akaia wasn't sure what method of enchantment they used to transfer lifespan from the prey to the host (since a shinigami couldn't absorb it on its own); but she did know that when they stole lifespan, they stole _all _of it- including the amount needed to escape a dying human body. There was no afterlife for the victim of a shinigami.

Onasisk didn't smile for very long. As Akaia lifted Adian out of the water, Onasisk caught sight of the mark on Adian's chest. He couldn't say anything at first. Akaia noticed the way he was looking at her. "What's wrong?"

His eyes were wide. "Akaia… please tell me that birthmark was already on his chest when you found him."

Akaia's eyes quickly broke eye contact with him. She wrapped Adian in the blanket that Onasisk had brought and held him close to her like a protective mother. "I did what was necessary."

"No. No, Akaia, no! What did you do?" His voice was a combination of anger and fear.

"I already told you. I did what was necessary. I used the lifestone you gave me."

"That isn't the reason I gave it to you!" In his anger, Onasisk stomped his foot straight through the boulder he was standing on; like a child throwing a tantrum. "That stone was supposed to be a symbol of my love for you. It wasn't meant to be used!"

"It doesn't matter, Onasisk! I promised that rain spirit that I would protect his child and lover. I was too late to save the woman, but his son has a chance to grow up now. Doesn't that make you happy? You obviously know the senior rain spirit somehow or you wouldn't have been so upset at the scene."

"It may be true that you saved the son of Lawliet…" Onasisk was suddenly behind Akaia and wrapping his arms around her. It had the touching appearance of a man holding his wife as she cradled their child. "… but you've put yourself in a very bad situation. You'll be punished for it, and there isn't anything I can do to help you."

"I'll accept my punishment without regret. You shouldn't be so upset. It's not like you don't get sent into exile all of the time. It's the main reason we keep putting our vows on hold."

"This isn't like that, Akaia. When I'm in exile, it's because I've done something to offend the other elementals. You have offended a power much greater."

"So, I could take hundreds of lives by creating a cyclone or assisting the water in creating a hurricane; yet I'm not allowed to save just one little boy? What kind of higher power would be so cruel? How is giving this boy lifespan any different than giving the bodies we make for ourselves lifespan?"

"When an elemental lives as a human, their spirit weakens significantly. Because of that, there's never a guarantee it will escape once the body has expired. It's sort of a compromise the elements have made with the source of existence. We chance losing our immortality every single time we inhabit a body. With a miracle, we have no compromise to offer other than accept a punishment. If elements were allowed to extend the lifespan of a living creature without sacrificing something, then it would become a regular occurrence and things would soon be so off balance that there would be nothing but chaos. Do you understand?"

"Well, yes; but it still doesn't…"

"Akaia, I don't have all of the answers. If I did, perhaps I wouldn't be such a restless spirit. None of it really makes any sense, does it? Why does any of this exist at all? Why is there even such a thing as _existing _and what is the true source of it?"

"Maybe nothing will happen. Nothing's happened yet."

"That doesn't mean anything." Onasisk closed his eyes. "It will happen soon enough."

"And as I told you, I accept it. What worries me now is the child. Both of his parents are dead and- thanks to your cover up- _he's_ supposed to be dead as well. Where will he go? He needs a human to take care of him."

Onasisk studied the sleeping child as he thought. "We can't raise him ourselves. You're fate is uncertain and I was denied the right to ever live as a human again after that incident in… well… there's no need to go there. It was before your time. I believe our only choice will be to leave him at an orphanage."

Akaia didn't look happy with Onasisk's suggestion. "He shouldn't have to wake up alone in an orphanage when only hours ago, he was in his mother's arms!"

"Akaia, he'll wake up in a stranger's company regardless of where he is. There's no getting around it. Lawliet didn't have any living relatives and Keiko's parents are in a nursing home. I've already checked with the other rain spirits. The child probably won't even remember who he is when he wakes up. His body is more than likely traumatized from the shock of dying as well as receiving a lifestone."

Akaia wept for the child. "It isn't fair."

"No. It's not fair; but I can promise you, he'll be alright. I know another earth spirit that's living as a human right now. He ended up adopting one of his children from an orphanage that he once worked for. He only had good things to say about the place. I can take you to the restaurant he owns. He'll know how to get in touch with the right people."

Akaia knew she had no choice. There was nowhere else for little Adian to go. She made sure he was wrapped up warmly in the blanket and left the hot springs to follow Onasisk. Akaia was sad. She felt as though she were betraying Adian by leaving him alone with complete strangers; but she knew he wouldn't have been any happier staying with her. She was also a complete stranger. Adian needed his mother, and she had been viciously taken away from him.

Akaia placed the sleeping child under the light by the backdoor of the restaurant. She wrapped his arm around his bear and gently rubbed his head. "At least you won't be completely alone. I'm so sorry, Adian. I have to go away. I hate to say we'll probably never cross paths again. I wish you happiness." Onasisk knocked at the door and waited. Very cautiously, someone opened the door and poked their head out. The restaurant employee couldn't see Akaia or Onasisk, but he saw the child almost immediately after Onasisk made a small noise in the right direction. The employee immediately closed the door.

"Why didn't he take him inside? I thought you said…"

"He's going to get the owner, I'll bet. That's exactly who I need to talk to. He doesn't even need to see us. We will conduct our business in our own language."

Sure enough, the owner soon opened the back door. He was a middle aged man with already graying hair. He caught sight of little Adian and immediately looked around to see if there was anyone else around. Onasisk spoke to him in his silent language and explained the situation. The restaurant owner was more than happy to take Adian in. He regretted that he couldn't adopt Adian as his own, but he already had four children and didn't have the resources for another one. He gave his word that Adian would be in good hands.

As Akaia and Onasisk set off into the night, Akaia couldn't seem to shake away her sadness. Onasisk stopped and embraced her. The moment he did, her spiritual tears poured. "I didn't want to leave him! He doesn't have anyone!"

Onasisk held her tight. "I know you didn't, Love. Your heart is so big. There wasn't any other choice, though. There was nothing else we could do." He held her until she had gained her composure.

After her emotions had settled down, Akaia accepted what was. "What now?"

"Now, we travel. If we go to the exiled lands and try not to stay in one place for too long, we might be able to avoid your sentence. We'll have to jump from world to world, so we won't be able to journey too far away from the portals."

"So, I'm supposed to keep running for the rest of eternity. Is that what you're saying?"

"We run until I can figure out a way to get you out of this predicament. I've met many strange creatures and spirits in my travels. There has to be someone or something out there that can help us." The two of them ventured to where the air was the heaviest. It was there that they found a portal. "Onasisk, when all of this is over… I can come back and check on Adian, right?"

"Of course you can. It shouldn't hurt anything. I bet anything he'll grow up to be a fine addition to the elements. He is the son of Lawliet, after all."

* * *

L caressed Raine's face and kissed her softly. She had told him everything about that night as they cuddled on her bed. Raine felt that she owed it to him. He had listened quietly without interrupting her; stroking his fingers through her hair every so often. When Raine had concluded her story, she looked as though she were beginning to sink into depression. L picked up on it and immediately tried to lighten the mood. "I always knew I was cold hearted, but I had absolutely no idea it was literally made of stone."

Apparently, it worked. Raine smiled at him, though a few tears finally escaped her tear ducts. "You're anything but cold hearted, L; even if you don't always make it obvious." She tried to pull herself even closer to him, but her aching ribs made it very impossible. They had to keep their embrace very light in order to avoid aggravating Raine's injuries.

"Should I assume the birthmark on your abdomen is also the result of a lifestone?"

"Yes. It always leaves a mark behind. Onasisk used a lifestone to make my body after he freed me."

L ran his thumb lightly over her birthmark. "I know what happened on my end after the restaurant owner took me in, but I'm still very curious about yours. You managed to avoid whatever it was you were running from for three years. How did you eventually end up in that forest?"

"Onasisk and I traveled from realm to realm for those three years. Eventually, I got tired of running away; and decided it was time to take responsibility for my crime. The wind may love to keep moving, but it doesn't like being endlessly chased by an unseen force. Onasisk and I exchanged words with each other over my decision. I left him on a very sour note and returned to my field. That field is actually a realm that serves as a bridge between several portals. It was created by Onasisk and myself. It was to be a world of our own once we said our vows- one where we would stand proud as the deities who created it. However, because Onasisk couldn't keep himself out of exile, it was never finished. It will never be anything more than a bridge. As it turned out, the unseen force that was chasing me hadn't been chasing me at all. Instead, it had waited on me to return to that field. Upon my return, I was stopped in mid air and bound with chains made from a metal that isn't found in the world where humans dwell."

Raine closed her eyes as she recalled the moments before she was imprisoned. She remembered struggling to free herself from the chains, and she remembered coming face to face with a power that was greater than that of any element. It had taken the form of a young boy with tight dark curls and magenta colored eyes. He didn't appear to be much older than Adian. His eyes had almost blinded her with the light that illuminated from them. His voice was cold, yet childlike. His words came out distorted and amplified. "Akaia of the Wind- the coward of the sky- did you really think you could run away forever?" She felt herself getting drowsy. The boy smirked at her. "I had initially decided to go easy on you; but since you've kept me waiting for so long, I believe I've changed my mind." His smirk morphed into a devilish grin. "Hear your sentence, Akaia of the Wind. You will spend half of a millennium just as you are in the world that you, yourself, created."

The child's voice suddenly turned deep and demonic. "I have taken the liberty of making a few modifications to your home." The field began to morph into a forest. The only light to be seen came from the child's eyes. "Your little world is now enchanted. Every creature or spirit that sets foot here from this point on must never stop moving if it doesn't wish to fall victim to the darkest despair of what I like to call _hell_. Too bad you won't be able to move for 500 hundred years." The child's eyes went out; and all that remained was darkness.

Raine stared at the ceiling in silence for a few minutes. Remembering the horrific child made Raine shiver. "L… I can't even begin to describe the things I felt while I was imprisoned in that forest. It makes the turmoil of my recent abduction seem like a small paper cut. Eventually, I feel into a deep sleep and remained that way until Onasisk freed me. It makes me wonder…" Raine felt the tears forming in her eyes again. "It makes me wonder if he's fading out of existence right now as a result of freeing me. I really hope that isn't the case."

L wasn't sure he knew how to respond. From everything she had told him, Raine's assumption about Onasisk's current condition was probably correct. He decided not to say anything. The last thing L wanted to do was upset her. There was something else that worried him. He couldn't help but bring it up. "If you only served 17 years of a 5 century sentence; does that mean your remaining sentence will be waiting for you when you return to the spirit world?"

"I'm not totally sure; but in all likelihood… yes."

L frowned. "Your only offense was giving me life. If I give it back, will that pardon your crime?"

He started to say something else, but Raine put her hand over his mouth. "Don't. Let's just enjoy the time we have. This isn't something we should concern ourselves with right now. And don't even think about trying to act noble by sacrificing yourself. I would never forgive you."

L looked hurt. "I don't want you to suffer anymore."

"I don't want to discuss it anymore, L. I have no regrets. If I had to go back and do it all over again, I would still save you. I'd only change one thing. I wouldn't try to run away. That was probably the biggest mistake I could have made. But, what's done is done. Please, let's not think about it anymore." Raine leaned in and kissed him to take his mind off of the subject. He moaned softly into her mouth and lost himself in the moment.

They had to pull away from each other to avoid building up too much lust. Raine was still in no condition to get overly physical. L caught his breath before he spoke. "I want to give you a change of scenery. Once the doctor approves, I would like to take you to the shoreline for awhile. I've already arranged a place for us to stay."

"But, I still have classes to teach. I can't just walk away after the kindness that Wammy House has shown me. And you're supposed to be leaving with Watari in less than three days from now."

"My plans have changed. I will not be accompanying Watari on his travels this time. As far as your job is concerned, I highly doubt they would mind if you took one more week off to recover. I can assure you the job will be waiting for you when you return. There are many things we still need to discuss about our future together."

"I'd love to see the shoreline again. It's one of my favorite places. Maybe after I've fully healed, I can help you learn how to control your power. You've already learned how to dream tap; so that's a step in the right direction."

"If I only make it rain when I'm feeling despair, then it shouldn't be that difficult. All I have to do is keep myself happy."

"And you need to improve your self confidence."

L wanted to laugh. "Self confidence? My dear, I'm L. I've never had a problem with self confidence."

"When you speak in terms of your abilities; you're right. You're so overly confident in your abilities, it's annoying at times. It's your lack of confidence in your right to exist that needs to be worked on. Once I've fully healed and it no longer hurts to breath; I would like to play a song for you. It will help you."

"You're saying you want to send me back to that… field…" L trailed off as he fell into deep thought.

"If you quit trying to fight it, you'll find something there that could be a vital piece in finding the confidence you lack. As long as you don't stand still for too long, you won't end up in the forest. The forest is actually a result of the despair one feels when standing still. It's an illusion. You never actually leave the field."

"Agreed then. As soon as you're fully healed, I will listen to your song and let go of myself completely. I'm interested in seeing what you think I'll find." A determined look crossed L's face. _'And once I return to that field, I shall somehow find the power that's over Raine's sentence and then see if I can negotiate a compromise. Raine will just have to understand.'_

_

* * *

_

**See you guys next chapter! Sorry this one was so short!**


	29. Eyes of the Earth

**I do not Own Death Note.**

**A/N: This chapter focuses on Onasisk and the events that happened right before L found Raine beside the warehouse. I decided to include this chapter because I didn't really get to do as much with Onasisk's character as I had originally hoped. I've only received one feedback on his character, but I think he has a lot of potential to have his own story. I'm pretty sure I'll end up writing it eventually.**

**Because I've decided to include this chapter, the final chapter has been pushed back one. L won't really be in this one until the end; but you won't see or hear anything new from him really. It's basicly a recap told from a different point of view.**

* * *

The cover up of the cathedral slayings was looked down on in disapproval by the elemental world. It was seen as unnecessary meddling in human affairs. As a result, Onasisk and the other rain spirits involved were exiled. The exiled lands were little more than lonely wastelands. During periods of exile, an elemental was barred from communicating with the other elements and passing through portals. It was unbearable for most elementals; but Onasisk had spent so much time in exile, he actually enjoyed the peace and quiet of the wastelands.

On the occasions when he'd get bored or lonely, he'd venture to the wasteland were the shinigamis dwelled. The shinigami realm was one of the few wastelands inhabited by spirits. Onasisk discovered in the shinigami realm a world of boredom that was pacified through gambling. There couldn't have been a more perfect place to pass the time. Onasisk had an unquenchable thirst for gambling; so it was that he ended up spending most of his time in exile playing card games with the shinigamis, Gukku and Deridovely. He fit in rather well with the shinigamis. Onasisk would get so wrapped up in the card games and story exchanges, that there were times when he completely forgot he was even in exile. Thus, he never truly learned any lessons.

This particular exile wasn't so much of a vacation for Onasisk. He had no idea what had become of Akaia; and there was no way he could go to her. Even if he could, there would be nothing he could do to help her. After years of endless pacing through the wastelands, he finally decided it would be best if he spent the remainder of his exile asleep in the sand. By the time he woke up, his time in exile had already passed. He left his bed of sand and tried to pass through a portal. When he saw that he could pass without problem, he immediately set off to find Akaia. As his luck would have it, she was in the first place he looked.

Onasisk didn't see her when he first arrived in the small realm they had created together. He walked through the open field and called to her, but there was no answer. After a while, he stopped walking and rubbed his brow in frustration. The moment he stopped, an overwhelming depression fell upon him. Before he knew it, the field had turned into a forest. The longer he stood there, the darker the forest became. It took him several minutes to figure out that he had to keep moving in order to keep the darkness away. _'What a horrid place! I believe a place such as this is better left to the wind. In fact, I believe I'll ask Akaia to leave it for her sister spirits so we can just start over._'

He spoke to the ground beneath his feet, hoping the faint vibrations it answered with would lead him to Akaia. The vibrations of the earth lead him off of the path. Eventually, he came to a clearing. He was awestricken to see his beloved levitated in mid air, bound in chains that anchored into the ground. A dead spirit didn't exactly leave behind a corpse, so Onasisk knew right away that she was sleeping in her solid form. The enchanted chains had prevented her from using any other form to escape.

"Akaia? Can you hear me? I'm going to try and get you down from there!" There was absolutely no response from Akaia. Onasisk grabbed the chains that held her and pulled them until she was at his level. He immediately took her into his arms and held her as tight as he could. No matter how many times he called to her, Akaia wouldn't respond. He studied the chains that held her_. 'I've seen this metal before. I know there's a way to break them.'_ He tried to bend the metal using the same technique he used to bend stone and minerals. It had absolutely no effect. _'Damn! I can't break these with earth bound magic!'_

Onasisk continued to try breaking the chains, each and every effort failed. When he felt there was absolutely nothing else to try, he resorted to using the one power he had learned in his travels that could melt away every particle it touched. It was a trick that elementals were forbidden to use. Realizing that nothing else would work, he melted the chains with his forbidden magic and started to run with Akaia in his arms. "We've got to keep moving. I'm not going to leave you here in this hell!"

Onasisk bolted through the endless forest, desperately in search of a portal. No matter how far he ran, the scenery never changed. There was absolutely no end to the forest. Just when he was about to give up, he saw something shining in the distance. Onasisk picked up his pace, thinking he might have found a portal opening. When he got close enough to see the source of the light, he stopped dead in his tracks. Standing in front of him was the child deity with the bright magenta eyes. Onasisk responded by surrounding him and Akaia with a shield of hard earth, but the child easily made it disintegrate. Once the earth shield was gone, there was no sign of Onasisk or Akaia. The boy made a quick grunt of annoyance. He tapped his foot lightly on the ground, causing it to turn black like tar. As it started to spread further and further across the ground, Onasisk was soon flushed out. Still holding Akaia, Onasisk closed his eyes to control his panic. He realized that they weren't going anywhere.

"Onasisk of the Earth. The deviant outcast of the elements. I'm afraid I can't allow you to leave here with that air spirit… nor can I allow _you_ to leave." The child didn't seem irritated or angry. Nothing about his demeanor seemed threatening at all. Onasisk, however, knew better.

Onasisk knew he was dealing with a power far greater than his own. "Please, you can't do this to her! What will it take for you to pardon Akaia for her crime?"

"She will be pardoned once she has served her sentence. There are no exceptions. Her sentence is light compared to what other entities would have received. The shinigamis you seem so fond of, for example. If your lover were a spirit of death; and served no other purpose in this existence other than to kill, she would have turned into wasteland sand only seconds after she extended that boy's lifespan."

"I'm the one that gave her the lifestone!"

"I'm aware of that; but you weren't the one who made the choice to use it."

"She ran away from you because of me! She was under my influence! Akaia had every intention of accepting full responsibility for her crime. I made her run!"

"You… _made_ her run…" The child smirked. "So, you're willing to take the blame for her; but are you willing to accept the burden?"

"I would erase my entire being for her! She's the only thing in this rotten existence that I've ever cared about!"

The boy studied the two elementals in silence; and then, surprisingly laughed. "You should be careful what you say. You haven't heard your _own_ sentence yet. You used a power to free her that's strictly forbidden for your kind. Are you trying to challenge the source? Do you think you can surpass that which is over you?"

"My punishment will be the same regardless of how I answer that."

The small deity shrugged. "Maybe."

"Just what the hell are you supposed to be anyway? Are you the source? Are you the supreme power that passes judgment?" Onasisk was trying to stall in his panic.

The child smiled, his magenta eyes gleaming. "Am I thesource? The _supreme_ power? The answer would be no, though I'm flattered you would think so. I won't complain if you bow down to me. I _am_, however, the one who passes judgment to those who threaten the balance of all that is. It is the reason I exist, just as you exist for the sole purpose of managing the dirt."

Onasisk corrected the child-like entity. "_Earth_."

The boy ignored him. "Akaia of the Wind will be punished for her actions. Nothing will change that. However, since you have freely admitted that you're the one responsible for making me wait around in this boring place for three years, I will reduce her sentence to what I had originally planned. Her original sentence was 167 years. I tripled it to half of a millennium as payment for the time she avoided me. If I return the sentence to the original number and subtract the 17 years she's already served, then she still has 150 years remaining. One hundred and fifty years. No more, no less."

Onasisk looked down at the sleeping Akaia and frowned. "Then, I guess that's as good as I can do."

"No, that's as good as _I_ _care_ to do. As far as your sentence is concerned; Onasisk of the Earth, for the crimes of harboring a criminal for three years as well as using a forbidden power to free a prisoner- you are sentenced to your permanent death. As of now, you may no longer absorb lifespan. Once the lifespan you already have runs out, you will fade into nothing."

Onasisk was at first speechless. It took him a minute to find his words. "B-but… but why? Why such a harsh sentence?"

"You've insulted the higher ranks by trying to overrule our judgment and equal our power. Your past crimes and reluctance to correct your deviant behavior aren't exactly in your favor either."

Still holding Akaia in his arms, Onasisk dropped to the ground and started to cry. His tears turned to sand as they landed on Akaia's face. "But I'll be gone before she wakes up! Please, let me say goodbye to her! Wake her up for me- if only for a moment! Please!" It wasn't like Onasisk to show such emotions. His words were coming straight from his heart.

The child looked unmoved. "No."

"No, please! I beg of you! I'll do whatever it takes! I only need a few minutes! Please!" What followed was almost fifteen full minutes of Onasisk sobbing and begging while the boy watched in silence.

The child faded until only his glowing magenta eyes were showing. "Don't get the wrong idea. I have absolutely no use or interest in your pathetic whining. However, since I am a being that doesn't mind compromising every once and a while; I will give you a suggestion." His eyes shined down on Onasisk and Akaia like a red tinted spotlight. "Every time you use your powers, it consumes a great deal of lifespan. Therefore, I will put a hold on the air spirit's sentence and command you to create a human body that she may use to live in the human world for awhile. You will get to spend your final moments with her while shorting your existence for me in return. The faster you use up your remaining lifespan, the better. I don't want you to misunderstand me though. Akaia's sentence will still be waiting for her when and _if _she returns to the spirit world; and I will not make her time on earth a carefree experience. If she spends her time with you as a human, then her powers will remain weak enough to not cause any more disturbances. That is my offer. You can take it or leave it."

"Y-yes! I'll take it! T-thank you!" Onasisk watched the glowing eyes dissapear. "But, wait! You didn't wake her up!"

The child didn't appear again, but its voice surrounded Onasisk like a wall. It spoke from every direction. "That isn't my problem. I didn't put her to sleep. She did that own her own; perhaps in hopes of sleeping through her inner torment. Apparently, she's never heard of nightmares." The voice snickered at his last comment before fading into the depths of the dark forest, leaving Onasisk and Akaia alone.

Onasisk held on as tightly as he could to Akaia as he wept. "Why did this have to happen to us, Akaia? We had everything going for us until the night of that damn cathedral incident!" Never in his six centuries of living, had Onasisk been so emotional. He kissed her on the forehead, followed by her lips. "Where will I take you once you're in your body? Neither of us have any solid connections who are living as humans right now."

He was starting to wonder if it would be better to just leave Akaia in the forest to serve her sentence. At least then, she could get it over with and not have to worry about being placed in the human world with nowhere to go. Normally, elementals descended to the earth as humans with either a plan or connections. Akaia had neither. It became apparent to him that the child of judgment had obviously considered that situation. _'That's just one more guilt for me to deal with. That damn brat knew I was making a selfish request and went with it to make things more interesting.'_

Onasisk sensed an open portal nearby, though he couldn't see it. The forest was now pitch black, so Onasisk relied once again on the earth's vibrations to lead him to what he was looking for. Once he located the portal, he took Akaia to a realm that wasn't enchanted with misery and crafted a human body in her exact likeness- using every element as raw material to help mold it into a fully functional vessel. The entire process was exhausting for Onasisk. He was well aware of how much energy it took to make a living being. He would consider himself lucky if he survived long enough to see Akaia take her first breath through her new lungs. Air elementals assisted with pulling Akaia's spirit into the body. Onasisk inserted a lifestone in her abdominal area; and then it was done. Akaia was ready to live among the humans.

Still faced with the problem of where to take her, Onasisk opened his elemental ear to the sounds of the elementals who were currently living as humans. There were no longer any vibes coming from the restaurant owner, which meant his body had probably passed on and he was in the process of hibernating to recover his strength. One sound in particular caught his ear. A rain spirit was in some sort of emotional distress. Onasisk hesitated at first. It was a rain spirit's distress call that had caused him and Akaia so much grief to begin with. Onasisk suddenly felt Akaia move in his arms. She wasn't waking up, just stirring in her sleep.

"Do you hear him, Akaia? Is that what made you move?" Onasisk closed his eyes and sighed. "Of course you do. The wind is always the first to hear the rain cry. Damn water sprites! I hate them! Lawliet was the only one I had any respect for." His mood was sinking further and further. _'And it was Lawliet who made the distress call that ruined everything.' _

Onasisk picked up Akaia and listened further. "Well, I guess we might as well. It's not like we have anywhere else to go. Maybe the stupid water sprite can help me wake you."

By the time Onasisk reached the location of the distress call, he was completely exhausted. It wasn't something he was used to. In fact, he couldn't even recall the last time he had actually felt tired before then. Even when he'd sleep in the earth, he'd only do it out of boredom, never because he felt low on energy. He was too weak to carry Akaia any further. In fact, he practically stumbled to the ground with her. In an attempt to catch himself, he anchored his foot into the earth. Though it didn't work, it did manage to produce a vibration that slightly jolted the wall of a warehouse that was supposed to be abandoned. In fact, it had been the source of the outside noise that L and Watari had heard that evening.

Akaia's landing wasn't as smooth as Onasisk would have wanted it to be, but she wasn't seriously injured. His invisible form climbed over to her and kissed her. "I can't go any further right now, my love. I need to take a rest. He sensed that someone was approaching. When he looked up to see who it was, he was spooked. "L-Lawliet? No… it can't be. It isn't possible."

Onasisk looked harder at the man who had approached them. He knew the man was a water elemental. He could hear him speaking in rapid and random patterns using the elemental language. Something seemed odd about it. Onasisk tried to reply to the man's silent ramblings. "Lawliet, how did you gather enough strength to return to a human body so soon? It's only been roughly 20 years since you were forced out of the other one. Do you have any idea what you've put me through, or what you've put Akaia through?"

The man didn't answer. He was too busy staring at Akaia. Onasisk didn't understand what was going on_. 'Why does he not respond? Can he not hear me? His language is so jumbled and completely random… wait… he isn't aware that he's speaking at all, is he? To him, his words are only thoughts! His raw emotions are causing him to think out loud in a language that he isn't even aware he knows. What the hell is going on and why the hell can't he see or hear me? He's acting like a little lost infant who hasn't developed his spiritual eye yet.'_

The moment the man stepped completely into what little light was provided, Onasisk gasped yet again. _'Shit! That's it! That isn't Lawliet at all! Nearly twenty years later…. that's… it only makes since!' _Onasisk tried to make himself visible to the man who was still staring at Akaia with a seemingly blank expression. He sank halfway through the ground when he realized he didn't have the strength. "Adian? That's got to be you! You're a splitting image of your father aside from the fact that you have the posture of a monkey and your eyes look like that of a meerkat's or raccoon's. Can you hear me at all?"

Frustrated that he still wasn't getting an answer, Onasisk closed his eyes and tried to gather his strength again. The man had started to walk away as if he hadn't seen anything, but then turned around and approached again. Onasisk panicked when he saw him pull off his shirt. "You sick fuck! What are you doing? Keep your hands off of her!" His fist went right through the man. Onasisk made a strange noise of relief when he saw that the man was only wrapping his shirt around Akaia's body so it wouldn't be completely exposed. He concentrated on deciphering more of the man's ramblings. Onasisk was surprised to hear that Akaia's presence was making the man question his own safety. Then, he heard the one thing that he needed to hear as the man lifted Akaia into his arms and continued to 'think out loud'. "I don't know who you are, or what your nature is; but I give you my word that you will be safe as long as you're with me."

Onasisk was so relieved, he almost started laughing. Even though he knew the man couldn't hear him, Onasisk thanked him before he said his parting words to his sleeping beauty. "Akaia, I need to regain my strength. I'll have to leave you for awhile; but I know this man will not hurt you. I love you, Akaia. I will come back to you soon, I promise." His last words were directed at the man who he was almost certain was Adian. "You better stay true to your word, you damn water sprite! I'll find you and kill you if you don't! It isn't like I can get punished for it! Hell, I'm already on death row!" He watched the stranger walk away with the only creature in existence that he truly cared for, and sank completely into the ground.

* * *

**Wow, what a short chapter! I could have started the next scene and made it longer, but I just thought this backstory deserved a chapter of it's own. See you next chapter! ^_^**


	30. Dream

**Disclaimer: I do not own Death Note or any of it's characters.**

**A/N: There's a lot to take in with this chapter (with no line breaks for transitioning scenes). I'll go back and change it if I get too many compalints that it's difficult to read. **

**The ending has been extended yet again. **

**I won't be able to start writing the next one right away because my son is currently in the hospital. I wrote most of this chapter in the hospital room while he was sleeping. I'll write when I can; but my son is top priority. Thanks for understanding.**

**

* * *

**

Almost a month had passed since L had rescued Raine from her abduction. Though Raine's physical injuries were healing; the emotional injuries were starting to show at an alarming pace. It had started in the days just before L took Raine to the beach house. One moment, Raine would be fine; the next moment, she would be crying uncontrollably. She was becoming obsessed with hygiene; constantly taking hot baths because she never felt clean. Raine was once fond of sleeping with all of the covers off of her. Now, she was obsessed with keeping herself covered up because she didn't want to feel exposed.

The biggest change that L had noticed was when they went out again for the first time. Their trip to the doctor was a whole different experience from the outings he was used to having with Raine. Raine clung to him like a shy child would cling to a parent. She never let go of him, not even once. If she wasn't holding his hand, she was holding on to his shirt. Her days of wandering off by herself appeared to be over. The crowds of people they passed through created an anxiety in Raine that would almost send her into panic attacks. The complete personality change in Raine prompted L to encourage her to pursue therapy. L was saddened by the fact that Raine would probably be in and out of therapy for many years to come. Even though she assured him that her abduction wasn't his fault, L still felt responsible.

Raine never talked about what had happened to her that night. The only reason L knew the details was because he had read her police report. When he read the details of all the things they had done to her in the short amount of time they had her; tears formed in his eyes. Raine had been through hell in those few hours. L didn't want to imagine what would have happened to her had she been held captive any longer. He explained to the doctor what had been going on and, as a result, Raine was prescribed an anti-depressant as well as a medicine for anxiety.

L hoped that the trip to the beach would help Raine. Watari owned a house with an ocean view that he had considered selling several times. His travels seldom allowed him to enjoy it. Watari also owned a majority of the land that surrounded it, so it was like a private beach. Solitude was exactly what Raine needed. She obviously wasn't quite ready to throw herself back out into society; and a little time with only the elements to surround her would be good for her spirit. L was almost sure of it.

"My goodness, it's so beautiful!" Raine walked around the beach house several times. She went upstairs through the master bedroom and walked out on its balcony. The ocean view was her favorite picture to take in. She smiled as the brisk ocean breeze greeted her face, blowing her hair wildly. L stood by the door and watched her with smitten eyes; but it wasn't long before he noticed that she was no longer smiling. The sadness in her eyes had returned.

L walked over to her and placed his hand on top of hers; which was resting on the rail of the balcony. Raine slowly looked his way and smiled, though her eyes remained sad. "Raine… are you not happy with the house and its location?"

"It isn't that at all." Raine kissed him on the cheek. "Didn't you hear me say it was beautiful? I just… I don't really know why I'm so depressed, to tell you the truth. I can't really pinpoint it to one thing in particular. But… despite that strange sadness that's trying to keep me down, I'm also the happiest I've ever been… if that makes any sense… which, I guess it doesn't. I'm sorry."

L gave her a curious look. "I'm not sure I understand why you're apologizing."

"I'm sorry for being a sulking idiot. I don't know what's wrong with me."

L's eyes cut to the ocean before returning to Raine's. "I recall a scene very similar to this when I told you to never believe you are anything less than amazing. I was being sincere with those words. You're not an idiot; though the _sulking_ part is indeed accurate. Considering all you've been through, I believe you have every right to sulk."

"Onasisk fixed my ribs. I told him not to, but he did it anyway; while I was sleeping." Raine turned to face the sea again. Her sudden change of subject was unexpected. "Earth spirits have no problem mending bones; but it still took a lot of his lifespan. He has very little time left. I honestly don't think he'll last another week. I told him they were healing just fine on their own, but he wouldn't accept it. It's almost as though he's trying to hurry his death along."

The reason behind Raine's melon collie mood was starting to come out in the open. L stood behind her and wrapped his arms around her. He had approached her cautiously in order not to startle her. Approaching Raine from behind often set off an alarm inside that would send her into panic. It was yet another after-effect of her abduction. "I believe I know why you've been so depressed now. You're mourning him. Losing someone you're close to is one of the greatest pains one can face."

Raine stared at the ocean for a minute in hesitation. "Y-you're not angry with me are you? For mourning him?"

"Why would I be angry?"

"W-well, because. He's… he and I were…"

"He was your lover. I'm well aware of that. He loves you as much as I do. The two of you formed a bond with each other that no one can ever touch; just as we have our own bond. I can't be angry with you for caring for him."

A quick smile crossed Raine's face. "Would you be saying that if he wasn't dying? You wouldn't get jealous if I invited him over for tea and cake every week?"

L's eye twitched slightly. "Let's not ask hypothetical questions." The way he said it made Raine laugh.

They both stared at the ocean in silence for a minute before L made a suggestion. "I believe you should be with him in his final moments. He shouldn't have to die alone, and I think it would mean more than anything to him if you were there. It would be better for you as well." L couldn't help but feel sorry for Onasisk. He knew that Onasisk had more than likely sacrificed his own existence to free Raine. Now he was spending his final days watching the woman he loved start a new life with someone else. L thought it was a very cruel fate; but at the same time, he knew Onasisk was relieved to see that Raine had found happiness (even if it did break his heart at the same time).

Raine turned around and hugged him. "And yet, you insist you're a cold hearted man." Her light kiss on his lips sparked his desire. L pulled Raine closer to him and gave her a more sensual kiss. As their kiss grew deeper, L felt himself getting more and more aroused. He forced himself to break the kiss, pulling slowly away with his eyes still closed. He licked his bottom lip and slowly opened his eyes as he silently scolded himself. He had tried so hard to behave himself by controlling his urges since her abduction. L wasn't sure if Raine was emotionally ready to resume a sexual relationship.

L's mouth was still open enough for Raine to notice him running his tongue across the back of his teeth. "Why do you always back away when you think things are getting too heated? Are you still unsure about human contact?"

"No. It isn't that."

"You still can't remember the day we made love, can you; or the day in Japan?"

L looked up at the sky for a brief second and sighed. "No, I'm afraid I can't." It frustrated him that he couldn't remember any of their more intimate moments together. It was that frustration that had allowed him to move pass what he liked to think of as the 'virgin butterflies.' Though he still felt like a stranger to the world of sex, he no longer trembled when he felt things were getting too passionate. In fact, he actually craved it now. Lust was no longer something that he put in the same category as sleep; which was: _inconvenient_. He caressed her face and nudged her nose. "As precious as those memories are, I no longer care to dwell on their loss. We can make new memories together- many, many new ones."

It didn't take him long to pull away from her in order to avoid any more tempting kisses. He knew she wasn't ready, not with the other signs of trauma she had recently displayed. L decided it would be best to go back to the original subject. "Have you seen Onasisk at all since he healed you?" L couldn't help but frown at his question. It sounded like a line straight out of a fantasy novel.

"No, I haven't; but I know he isn't gone yet. He's sleeping somewhere nearby. If he was already gone, I would have felt it through the vibrations of the ground. The earth will definitely mourn him. I know he'll appear again once he wakes up. He knows his time is nearing, and he won't find somewhere to die without saying goodbye first."

L cut his eyes to the ground. _'I sincerely hope, for Raine's sake, he didn't consider his last visit to her a goodbye.' _He decided to change the subject again; though it wasn't much more pleasant. "Now that your ribs are fully healed and your breathing is strong; I suppose I have no other choice but to honor our agreement."

"That's right. I need to help you with your nightmare. Do you want to do it right now?"

L wasn't looking forward to dealing with his nightmare; but he knew he had to. He knew he had to get to that forest to see if there was any chance he could find the spirit that was over Raine's sentence. He was more than ready to get on his knees and beg on her behalf. He was even willing to make the same sacrifice that Onasisk had apparently made if that's what it took. He reasoned that the child entity would be more than happy to take back the lifespan that Adian was never meant to have. What worried him was whether or not spirits were good for their word. There was a chance his sacrifice could be for nothing if the spirit was cruel enough to deny Raine a pardon; even after the original crime was corrected. He wasn't even sure if spirits were the type who considered compromises. The boy _could_ just take L's lifespan away before any words were even exchanged.

"I believe now would be a perfect time, Raine. Perhaps afterwards, I can convince you to walk out on the beach with me for awhile."

Raine grabbed his hand and headed for the door. "I think a walk on the beach is exactly what I need!"

"I'm glad you think so. Let's try and make it out there at least an hour before the sun starts to set."

"Any particular reason why?"

He smiled his usual childish smile. "Maybe."

Raine went to retrieve her flute while L perched on a chair in the living room. His mind started racing_. 'I'm acting off of my impulses again. If I go there and negotiate my life away, then I will more than likely die before Raine even finishes her song. I haven't made any preparations for that. Near and Mello still aren't ready to take my place… and if Raine sees that I've passed away while under the influence of that song… what would that do to her?'_

L wasn't sure which way to go. Dealing with things that weren't even supposed to exist exhausted his reasoning. No, it wasn't that- it was the emotions that were in play. L knew better than anyone that emotions could cloud even the most brilliant mind. He had suppressed his emotions with minimal effort for so many years before he met Raine. Now, he had no problems locking them away as long as he was working; however, his newly acquired personal life was a completely different story. _'I'm not sure I know which way to go.'_

"L? Is everything okay? You look like you're frustrated with something."

L's attention focused on Raine, who now had her flute with her. Instead of answering, he extended his hand to her, indicating he wanted her to sit with him. Raine eyed him curiously. "You want me to sit with you while I'm playing?"

"Would it be too uncomfortable for you?"

"No, not at all. I should be able to play just fine. It just seems your behavior has been slightly off today. You haven't even bothered to set up your computer since we've arrived. That's normally the first thing you do when we arrive at a new place."

"Please, ignore it. Let's proceed with this, shall we? I'm a little eager to get it over with."

Raine lightly sighed and sat down between L's legs. L allowed himself to sink back into chair and relax. He wrapped his arms around Raine's waist and held her closely. As Raine lifted her flute to playing position, L rested his chin on her shoulder and whispered in her ear. "Would you care to tell me what it is I'm supposed to be looking for in this endless field?"

"You don't have to look for anything. It'll find _you_. You might have to stand still for awhile for that to happen, though. The darkest part of your heart needs to be exposed in order for this to work."

L frowned. "I can't wait." There were dozens of things he could think of that he'd rather be doing. "I'll be looking forward to our time on the beach once I wake up."

Raine closed her eyes and focused on L's breathing. _'Something doesn't seem right about L today. What is it? Maybe he's just nervous.' _Without opening her eyes, she started to play her ghostly melody.

It wasn't long before L loosened his hold around Raine's waist. He could feel himself getting drowsy. _'I still don't know what I should…' _Before he could finish his thought, he was standing in the field.

Once he started walking, L knew what he wanted to do. He found a random wild flower and crushed it under his foot. "Oh, it appears as though I've stepped on this flower." L spoke as loudly as he could. "I suppose I put it out of its misery. I don't know how anything can grow in this wretched dirt. It might as well be sand." He waited.

"Why don't you just fuck off, water sprite? This is the finest soil you can find in any dimension!" The voice of Onasisk suddenly yelled at him from what seemed like every direction.

L wasn't sure which direction it was coming from, so he spun around a couple of times, grinning to himself as he did so. Just as he was starting his third spin, Onasisk appeared beside him. L quickly hid his grin. "There you are."

Onasisk glared at L. "You disrespectful little brat! How dare you come to my home just to insult me! And get off of that flower! You're smothering it!"

L suddenly felt a tingle under his foot. It actually felt like the flower was trying to push his foot off. It was actually Onasisk pushing the dirt up. His powers had grown so weak, he couldn't even move L's foot. L saw that Onasisk was getting more and more frustrated, so he voluntarily lifted his foot off of the flower. "I knew of no other way to lure you out of hiding. You wouldn't have responded to anything else, and you know it."

Onasisk turned away in frustration; clenching his fists and mumbling to himself. "Stupid water sprite! Stupid, stupid water sprite!"

L studied Onasisk while he was throwing his tantrum. Onasisk was struggling to keep his solid form; which was slowly melting like hot wax. L decided to remain silent until Onasisk regained his composure. He paced back and forth to keep the sorrow away. He wasn't ready to face his nightmare yet. Finally, Onasisk turned to face L again. He wore a look of defeat on his face. "So, what do you want? You've already taken Akaia's love. It's not like I have anything else left to give you. Can't you just leave a spirit to die in peace?"

"You _are_ here to die then. Are you aware that Akaia seems to think she's going to see you again? She said you wouldn't find a place to die without saying goodbye first. It would break her heart if she couldn't see you again. You may have said _your_ goodbyes, but she hasn't said hers."

"She shouldn't need to. She has you to fill the void." Onasisk couldn't have made it anymore obvious that he was bitter.

L blinked a couple of times in disbelief. "You're a very selfish spirit. You hardly seem the type who would sacrifice themselves in order to save another."

"What would you know about it?"

"Absolutely nothing; which is why I was hoping you would enlighten me." When he saw that Onasisk didn't look like he was willing to tell him anything, L sighed and offered an explanation. "I realize you strongly dislike me, and you have many good reasons to; but I need to know where Akaia stands with her sentence. How was it that you were able to free her and what will be awaiting her when she returns to the spirit world?"

Onasisk eyed him suspiciously. "You're up to something, aren't you? Are you planning to try and have her sentence overturned? I can already tell you that it won't work. I don't care how tricky you are, you can't win against the power who has judged her."

L sighed impatiently. "Onasisk, I don't have a lot of time. Just tell me what I need to know. She received that sentence because of me. If there's a way I can negotiate with that child…"

"I've already negotiated. He reduced her sentence from 500 to 150; which she will serve once she leaves her body. If you try and negotiate any further; you'll only anger him. If you piss him off, he'll extend her sentence and there won't be a damn thing you can do about it."

A new voice joined the conversation. "Yes. You should listen to your dying elder." Both L and Onasisk were a bit taken aback by the small child with jet black curls who had just materialized in front of them (though neither of them made it obvious).

L didn't seem to be intimidated by the child. "In other words, I can't convince you to go any lower on her sentence; even if I give you back the lifespan that she used to save me- minus the years I've already used up?"

The boy narrowed his eyes. "You would be willing to erase your existence for her?"

"Ye…" L felt a cold waxy hand over his mouth. Onasisk apparently didn't like where the conversation was going. He placed his free hand on L's throat and silenced his voice; using a weaker form of the power he had used to take Akaia's voice during her dream in Sydney.

When L realized what had happened, he gave Onasisk a death glare. Onasisk ignored it. "You stupid love sick water sprite! If you sacrifice your life; then the sacrifices that Akaia and I have already made will have been for nothing! There's no true justice in that! In fact, it would be the biggest _in_justice in the history of life!"

"Again, you should listen to your elder. Because you have never lived as a spirit, you think of 150 years as a long time. You have a lot to learn, young one. Human life is frail and short, but spirits linger for centuries. Akaia must take full responsibility for her actions. She knew the consequences would be great when she committed the crime. There is nothing (not even your own life) that will change that. I have no business with you, Adian of the Rain. Let it remain that way."

Though half of him felt defeated, L realized that there was truth to what both Onasisk and the child were saying. And when it came right down to it, L didn't really want to die. He wanted to go back to Raine and take her for a walk on the beach. He stuffed his hands in his pockets and gave a short nod. _'At least I can't say I didn't try.' _He still couldn't help but feel horrible. L wasn't keen on the idea of someone having to suffer for so many years just because they saved _his_ life. It understandably bothered him. To a degree, he even felt responsible for what was happening to Onasisk. Onasisk and Raine- or, Akaia- had apparently existed happily together until the night of the cathedral slayings. The more L thought about it, the more he wanted to crawl under a rock.

L had stopped pacing. As a result, the forest was starting to appear. It wasn't long before both the strange child and Onasisk had disappeared. L suddenly found himself alone in the dark forest. He wanted to start walking again to drive away the deep depression, but he remembered what Raine had told him, and stood still. He could feel himself trembling all over. _'Every bit of it is my fault- the violent deaths of my mother and father, Raine's punishment, the final death of Onasisk. All of them would be alive and happy if I- the bastard child- had never existed. I've sentenced my love to 150 years of pure misery and I've erased the others from existence.'_

The longer he remained still in the forest, the deeper the misery went; pulling out every lost emotion that had been trapped deep within his inner psyche. It wasn't long before he was on the ground in a fetal position; having an emotional fit very similar to the one he had had when he found Raine's broken yo-yo. In that moment, he was no longer L Lawliet. He was a small child in serious distress. His body had regressed in age. He was Adian again. "I'm sorry." His voice had returned, though it was a whimpering child's voice. "I'm sorry!" He screamed as loud as he could, though no one could hear him. Scared and alone, Adian hugged his knees and bawled. His only company was the darkness of the lonely forest.

Adian cried and cried, until the corner of his eye caught an image. He looked up to see a tall lanky man with wild brown hair. The sobbing boy looked up at the man and studied him. "Are you a rain man?"

The stranger smiled and winked at the young Adian. "I guess you could call me that."

"I knew it. I knew it as soon as I saw you. Will you come back and see us again?" Adian's words were coming out as a script- one that he and the 'rain' man had written many years before.

"Well, Adian… we'll see what happens. I really would like to see you and your mother again. Nothing would make me happier."

A strong voice suddenly spoke through Adian. "I remember you now. You're my biological father, are you not? You're Lawliet." L was trying to break through. He had to fight with everything he had to keep from losing himself to his inner most torment, known as Adian. It was like fighting the effects of too much alcohol- trying not to black out and leave control to a completely different side.

The man didn't respond. L was losing himself again. _'He won't answer. That isn't really him. He's an illusion… a memory.' _L tried to fight harder to keep his awareness, but then he realized that he _needed_ to let Adian take over. As Raine had said, the darkest part of his heart _needed_ to be exposed, or his nightmares would never go away. L decided to stop fighting; surrendering all control to his inner child.

Adian remained on the ground in his fetal position and started to cry again. Soon, he heard another familiar voice echo in the darkness. "Adian, run! Run as fast as you can and don't look back, baby!" It was his mother, Keiko; franticly yelling the now scripted words.

Adian remained where he was. His fingers dug into the dirt as he clenched his teeth together. "No." His voice stared out as a small whisper. His next words had turned into a determined yell. "No! I won't leave you alone with him! I won't let him hurt you!"

The rain was starting to pour. Adian could hear a bell ringing continuously. He picked up fists full of mud and started slinging it in every direction. "Stop it! Stop ringing! Shut up!" Just when he thought his head would explode from the noise; he felt something lightly squeeze his hand. Adian turned around abruptly to see his mother holding his hand. It was the same light squeeze she had given him just before she died. She was covered in blood; her eyes wide open and dilated. Keiko was on her knees and eye level with her small son. Adian threw his arms around her and held on as tightly as he could. "You're going to be okay! You're not going to die!" He could feel her body trembling.

It wasn't long before Adian felt a sharp pain pierce through his chest. As painful as it was, he wouldn't let go of his mother. After several minutes of not being able to find his voice through the pain, he managed to speak. "It's… so c-c-cold." He noticed that his mother had stopped trembling. Her body was cold and lifeless. "M-mother?" Adian was speaking as L would speak. The toddler had apparently grown out of saying 'mommy'. "Mother!" Adian screamed as loud as he could. Out of nowhere, water started to shoot up out of the ground; creating a dome around Adian and Keiko. The falling rain fed the protective shield of boiling hot water. Apparently, Adian had full access to his powers while in a dream-state. "Wake up, Mother! He can't hurt you anymore! You've got to wake up! Please!"

When he received no response, Adian started to cry again. Keiko wasn't going to wake up. She was gone. As the horrible truth sank in, the wall of water came crashing down on them. The pain of the hot water surprisingly wasn't as bad as the pain in his chest. For a short while, all was dark. When Adian woke up, he was back in the field; still a three year old child. There was no rain and he was no longer in pain. He wasn't holding on to his mother's body anymore. In a panic, he jumped up and started calling for her. Adain ran as fast as his little legs could carry him. He didn't stop until he saw a figure in the distance. He ran even faster until the figure was close enough to clearly make out. He stopped dead in his tracks and gawked when he saw who it was. "…Mother…"

She was alive and well; standing in the field and smiling at him as though nothing had happened. In a burst of excitement, little Adian bolted over to his mother and threw his arms around her; almost knocking her down. His tears were a mixture of joy as well as sorrow. "Mother! I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry, I couldn't protect you! It's my fault! All of it's my fault!"

Keiko kneeled down to her son's level and pushed the hair out of his face. "Sweet baby… what happened wasn't your fault. Why would you think something like that? I should be apologizing to you! I couldn't protect my child."

Adian's bottom lip quivered as he choked back on his sobs. "No. I was too little and weak to keep him from hurting you! That monster killed you and all I could do was watch! It wouldn't have even happened if it wouldn't have been for me! My existence is my crime! I'm a bastard child that was never meant to exist and everyone has paid the ultimate price for it!"

"No. No, baby. You are not a bastard child. Don't ever let anyone tell you otherwise. Your father and I conceived you with a love that most people will never know in their short lifetime. That within itself makes you very special. You have just as much right to exist as anyone else. I love you, and your father- your _real_ father- loves you."

"But look at what happened to you! You and father both are dead!

"Well, yeah… but in truth; that was really the only way we could be together in peace. The world is a very cruel place, Adian. You know that. You see it every day."

Adian could feel himself calming down. He closed his eyes and allowed his mother to wipe his tears away. When he opened them again, he stepped back in surprise. He wasn't a child anymore. Adian was now standing in front of his mother as a full grown man. Adian was L. His mother was looking up at him in astonishment. "Look at you! You're just as tall as your father!" Adian looked down and smiled shyly; stuffing his hands into his pockets. Keiko grinned from ear to ear at her son. "You've grown into a fine young man, Adian. I'm so glad you were given a second chance at life. Don't ever think it was a mistake, because it wasn't. You're very special, sweetie; and as long as you can look through all of the cruelty and ugliness in life and see the hidden beauty, you'll continue to flourish."

Adian took his hands out of his pockets and gave his mother a heartfelt hug. "I love you, mother. I'm so happy you're not hurting anymore."

"I love you too, baby. Don't blame yourself for anything that happened. Your father and I are at peace and you've grown up and started your own journey. Everything's as it should be. Everything's going to be okay." Keiko kissed Adian on the cheek and smiled at him proudly.

"I can't help but wonder- how is it we've been standing still in this field without any sorrow overpowering us?"

"Don't you remember, sweetie? You made a shield around us. My brave son is protecting me from the darkness." She smiled proudly as she slowly began to fade away. Adian looked around them in confusion. He didn't see any sort of shield, but it made him feel ten feet taller to think that his mother had been spared the sadness of the field because _he_ was protecting her. He heard a voice telling him to wake up; and soon, he was being pulled away from the field and into the air. His mother waved at him as if it wasn't an unusual site. "I'll never be far away as long as you keep me alive in your heart! I love you, baby!"

A very groggy L sat back in his chair and rubbed his head. Raine was no longer sitting with him. She was instead kneeling over in front of him with a glass of iced water. "Are you okay?"

L took the water and sipped it slowly. "Thank you. I'm fine. I just have a slight headache."

Raine studied him with a curious eye. "Well… did you get what you needed out of that? Did it help at all? I played the song twice."

L almost looked as though he were going to start zoning into a state of deep thought. He decided instead to answer Raine's question. "My dear, I literally had the chance to make peace with my inner child. I don't know if it will erase the nightmares; but I'm almost sure it has driven away most of the demons that lurk within my madness."

Raine laughed. "You have an interesting way of wording things."

L smiled and extended his hand to her; inviting her to sit down with him again. Raine sat in between his legs; just as she had earlier. They rested there for several minutes and enjoyed each other's company. L took a moment to silently reflect on his 'dream'. He held Raine close to him and lost himself in the scent of her hair; which smelled like a spring bloom shampoo. He soon started thinking about something else he wanted to do. "I believe I'm ready for that walk on the beach now."


	31. Unity

**A/N: Warning- This chapter is very sappy, perhaps a little cheesy, and topped with a lemon. Yeah, I did one more lemon, though it's short and I tried to write it in good taste.**

**Thanks to Rakkii seimei and Rat300 for your kind words of support (concerning my son). We should be able to bring him home in another day or two hopefully. =)**

**Oh, right... For the 31st time, I do not own Death Note!**

**

* * *

**

"Mmmm! Strawberries are so much better than cherries!" Raine closed her eyes and savored a big bite of strawberry shortcake as she spoke. She couldn't articulate quite as well as L could with a mouth full of food.

"Once again, I should remind you that you've never actually tasted a real cherry." L sliced into the cake with his fork and indulged in a bite. They hadn't even bothered getting plates or taking the cake out of the box. All they needed were two forks to eat with. L had apparently woke up from his dream with an appetite. They had postponed their walk on the beach as a result. They continued to break the rules of etiquette by conversing with their mouths full of cake. "If you try one, I will present to you a surprise."

Raine laughed. "A surprise, huh? Well, I _would_ try one; but this is a _strawberry_ cake as you can plainly see. I'm pretty sure we don't have any cherries. Oh well. Another time, perhaps."

L finished his bite of cake and got out of his chair. "No. Not another time. Lucky for you, I just happen to have a jar stashed away."

Raine put on a fake grin and clenched her teeth. "Yeah. Lucky me."

"You don't really think I'd actually go anywhere without a jar of cherries on hand, do you?" L smiled slightly before strolling lazily into the kitchen. When he returned, he was holding out a jar of cherries in his usual delicate way and grinning slyly. "What would you do without my excellent pre-planning skills?"

"Well… I'd probably continue to enjoy my strawberry shortcake without fear of being forced to eat something that I find disgusting." Raine made a sour face.

L had already unscrewed the lid. "You said you would try one." He took two out of the jar and suggestively sucked them into his mouth. He was obviously about to do his trick with the cherry stems.

Raine bit on her bottom lip slightly. "I know that's what I said; but that was when I was almost certain we didn't have any cherries to try."

L remained silent long enough to work on his cherry stems. When he removed them from his mouth, they were knotted perfectly. Raine was still biting hard on her bottom lip as she watched him get on the table and perch in front of her. L leaned in until he was only inches away from her. Raine couldn't help but laugh at his monkey-like antics. He played with his bottom lip and studied her while his free hand trailed back over to the jar to retrieve another cherry. "Would it be a little less unbearable, if I made it more interesting?"

L stuck the cherry just behind his teeth and pulled the stem out of it. Without giving Raine a chance to ask what he was doing, L kissed her while the cherry was still in his mouth, using his tongue to push it onto hers. Raine surprisingly accepted his cherry flavored kiss without the slightest urge to pull away. They took turns passing the cherry back and forth with their tongues; never actually biting down on it. They continued their game for several minutes before L pulled away. He was actually eager to hear what she thought about the cherry.

He gave Raine a chance to actually chew the cherry and swallow it before he asked her opinion. He raised his index finger to his lips. "Well, what do you think?"

"Now that I've actually tasted it, I think…" Raine stopped to find the right words. "…cherries suck."

L's eyes briefly looked up at the ceiling. "It appears I've been defeated by underdeveloped taste buds."

"_Under_developed taste buds?" Raine laughed and hit him playfully on his arm.

"I can think of no other logical explanation as to why one would not enjoy the taste of cherries." L moved closer to her face and rested his forehead on hers. "So did the kiss 'suck' as well? Or perhaps there wasn't _enough_ 'suck'?

"The kiss was actually delectable." Raine closed the small gap that was still between their lips. What started as a sweet and light kiss quickly began to progress into a more urgent and passionate display of affection. It wasn't long before she was out of her chair and climbing on the dining room table. L wrapped his arms around her and slowly eased back. He wanted her more than anything. At the same time, L knew he had to be careful. He still had no idea if Raine had emotionally healed enough to handle an intimate encounter. So far, she didn't seem to be having any problems.

L let Raine rest on top of him as they made out on the table. Having decided that the best thing to do was let her make all of the advances; L loosened his hold on her to give her a little more freedom. Only _she_ knew where her current comfort zone was, after all. Raine took advantage of L's submission. She took his hands and held them down on the table as she moved her kisses down to the sensitive areas of his neck. L's breathing quickened. "Yes… Take control, Raine. I surrender myself to you entirely." He was slightly surprised to hear himself so willingly give up control, but it felt too good to not go with it.

Raine moved both of L's hands over his head and crisscrossed his wrists so that she only needed one hand to hold them down. She kissed him passionately as she held him down, grinding her pelvis into his. Her movements were driving L into a yearning frenzy. Just when he was certain she would have her way with him right there on the dining room table, Raine surprisingly let him go. She released his wrists and sat up on the table. It took L a minute to fully regain his composure. He stared at the ceiling as he waited for his breathing to return to a regular pattern. He had to force his physical frustration to the back of his mind (which wasn't an easy task). Raine's advances had seemed like a cruel tease.

After licking his lips several times, he sat up on the table beside her and held her hand. "What is it? Is something wrong?" He gently pushed Raine's hair away from her face with the back of his hand.

Raine turned her head until she met his eyes. "I'm sorry, L. I didn't mean to stop so abruptly like that; but…" She sighed before she continued. "When I was holding you down just now; I suddenly got this sick feeling. I actually felt like I was one of those men who kidnapped me, looking down on a helpless victim. I mean, I didn't feel like I wanted to hurt you, I just felt like…" Raine sighed again in frustration. "I'm not really sure I know how to explain it."

"You don't have to explain it. I understand." His voice was soft and soothing to Raine's ears. "We don't have to do anything that you're uncomfortable with."

"L… I don't want you to think that the dominance games don't interest me- or any other perverted game for that matter. You wouldn't believe how many crazy scenarios I've pictured us in. There are so many things I want to try with you. But, right now… I think what I'm craving more than anything is an intimate encounter that's sweet, sappy and gentle- where we're both on equal footing."

L gently kissed her on the cheek and smiled. He was blushing slightly. "That isn't a problem. In truth, I believe I would prefer that sort of scenario for my…" L's eyes briefly cut to the side. "…_second_… first time."

"I'm sor…" L put his finger to Raine's lips before she could finish.

"You're apologizing way too frequently lately. It's becoming a bit of an annoyance."

"I'm sorry. I mean…oh, crap!" Raine knew she was blushing.

L smiled his usual childish smile. "My dear, I've yet to figure out how you do it; but somehow, you always manage to melt my heart without even trying."

Raine smiled shyly and looked away. "So… did you still want to go for that walk on the beach?"

L's eyes widened. "That's right. We have to make it out there before the sun sets. Otherwise, we'll have no light to see with. Tonight is a new moon."

"Okay, but promise me you'll put a coat on. It's sort of chilly out there on the beach at this time of the year."

"If you insist, I suppose I can stomach wearing an extra layer of clothing. Give me but a moment to gather a coat and we shall be on our way."

Raine had been right about the weather. The brisk ocean breeze was very chilly out on the beach. L was wearing a long black coat that stopped just above his knees. Raine was wearing a black hoodie with a light grey jacket. They held hands as they walked the beach together. Though the bottoms of their jeans were getting drenched, they walked close enough to the water so that the waves went over their bare feet before being pulled back into the sea. It seemed to defeat the whole purpose of dressing up to stay warm.

"You seem a little less tense sense you woke up from your nap. I'm really glad my song helped you relax."

'It did a lot more than that. I remember my parents clearly now. My mother- or an illusion of my mother- helped me deal with my self-loathing."

"You no longer blame yourself then? That's wonderful! What about the hatred you have towards your step father?"

L thought about the night he had rescued Raine from the paper factory. He realized that he had indeed confronted that hatred when he was faced with the decision of what to do with Raine's abductor. It was an accomplishment that he achieved all on his own- without the help of Raine's flute. It made him feel stronger. "Yes. I believe I was able to find peace with that as well. That man should no longer torment my dreams." There was no way he was going to tell Raine how he did it. He decided it would be for the best to just let Raine believe he had overcome _that_ obstacle with her song as well.

L wanted to talk more with Raine about overcoming some of his inner struggles; however, he didn't see their walk on the beach as the proper time. All he cared about at that moment was losing himself in the love that he felt for her. He glanced out into the horizon of endless ocean. _'The sun is starting to set.'_ He stopped walking- which in turn, caused Raine to stop. He wrapped his arms around her and they watched the sun start to go down. "Do you feel the elements watching us, Raine? The sand beneath our feet, the water that crashes before us, the wind that's chilling our bones, the sun that hasn't completely closed its eyes on us yet- every element is right here."

Raine opened her eyes wide as she took in the moment. "It's our perfect world. I'm here with you; and every element is welcoming us."

L whispered softly into her ear. "I told you if you tried a cherry, I would give you a surprise." He reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a box a little bigger than a fist. Still standing behind her, he told her to do the same thing he had told her to do at the park in New Orleans. "Close your eyes and hold out your hands." Raine smiled and did as she was told. L placed the box in her hands; cupping his hands over hers. "You can open your eyes now."

Raine opened her eyes and looked down excitedly at the box that L had placed in her hands. "Oh, L! Thank you! Can I open it now?"

"I was hoping you would, actually."

Raine eagerly pulled the ribbon off of the box and opened the top to see what was inside. She squealed like an excited child when she saw what it was. It was a brand new yo-yo; a blue one made especially for professional tricks. She turned around and hugged L as tightly as she could. "It's wonderful, L! I missed my other one so much! Thank you!"

L smiled at her with love struck eyes. "It should be easier for you to perfect the new tricks you were working on with that one. Do try not to lose this one." He shared a long kiss with Raine before moving on to his next surprise. "Perhaps you should try it. Are you not curious to see how it operates differently from your old one?"

"Well, I could; but the breeze is so strong out here…"

L smiled and nudged her nose with his. "Just try it. Show me your best trick."

Raine started to pull the yo-yo out of the box, only to find that the end of the string was stuck behind the display sleeve. She gave it a few light tugs before deciding to remove the display sleeve completely. She had expected to see the string taped to the back of the sleeve. Instead, she discovered that the end of the string was actually tied to something. Her eyes widened as she pulled the string away from the sleeve and let it dangle in front of her. Attached to the end of the yo-yo was a platinum blue sapphire ring, set with diamonds. The design was very similar to the crown of the sky. L had apparently remembered the crown she wore when he first saw her in the field. Raine was completely speechless. She could feel her eyes start to water with tears as she stared at the shining band.

She looked at L (who had started chewing on his nails), and opened her mouth to try and find the right words. Nothing was coming out. Realizing he was probably eager for some sort of response, Raine pulled L's hand away from his mouth and kissed him passionately. The minute she pulled away, L revealed his last surprise. "Akaia of the Wind, will you unite with me before the other elements?" The surprise wasn't just the words he spoke, but the language he spoke them in. L had recovered his lost language. He was speaking through his silent language that only elementals could hear.

Raine heard his words loud and clear. She was so overwhelmed with happiness; she couldn't hold back her tears. She responded in the same language. "Adian of the Rain… nothing would make me happier." They held each other close as they professed their love before the elements. The wind blew fiercely and the waves picked up. The air and the water honored the unity of their two children. And in the distance- hiding behind the sand dunes- was Onasisk. He watched the couple standing on the beach with very mixed emotions. At first, Onasisk felt sorry for himself_. 'That was supposed to be me out there. Instead, Akaia has fallen in love with someone new and I'm about to fade away into nothing. It isn't fair. Why the hell did this have to happen to me?'_

He wept tears of sand as he watched the woman he loved exchange vows with someone else. _'It's… okay though. Despite everything, I can die knowing she won't be alone. My beautiful flower will never close her pedals. I know too that Adian won't let Akaia serve her sentence alone. He's already made up his mind.' _Onasisk also knew that Akaia had shed tears over his cruel sentence. He had watched her. Those tears assured him that Akaia still cared for him. It meant everything to him.

He smiled through his own tears and sent a message deep into the ground, making sure it wouldn't find her for several days. _'I know you'll never forget me, Akaia. You and Adian have my blessing. I've left a gift for the two of you in the field. Once you've served your sentence, the enchantment will be lifted from our world and you can continue to build it with Adian. The place could certainly use a little more rain. I love you, Akaia. Thank you for caring for me.' _Onasisk of the Earth replayed all of his favorite memories to himself one last time; and then he was gone.

L and Raine never even knew Onasisk had been there. His presence had been too weak for them to feel. They stood ankle deep in the ocean, speaking in their new favorite language. As the sun disappeared, they started walking back towards the house, hand in hand. "Are you happy with your job at Wammy House?" Though L had asked her the question before, he wanted to verify it again.

"I didn't like it at first; but the more I get to know the kids there, I think the job suits me rather well."

"Then I should assume I never have to hear you complain about not being useful again?"

Raine laughed. "That really_ did_ get on your nerves, didn't it?"

"Yes."

"I promise you I've found my place in the web of society."

"You'd like to remain here then?"

Raine suddenly stopped. She hadn't thought about her job conflicting with her new 'marriage'. L never stayed in one place for any longer than a month. He had only extended his stay in the UK by a month or two because of what had happened with the memory loss and temporary break up. "You wouldn't be able to stay with me and still remain hidden as L, would you?"

L used his thumb to play with his bottom lip. "You do realize that what I do is little more than a hobby, correct?"

"You're kidding? You're so passionate about it."

"I'm no more passionate about solving seemingly unsolvable cases than Matt is about his video games."

"But Matt's entire life happens to be video games. He told me one day about his dream of inventing some sort of crazy virtual reality console that would make the gaming market in Japan bow down to him. Look, if you'd like me to resign as a teacher so that I can travel with you again, then I'll do it without question."

"No, I would like you to remain here where you're happy. My current lifestyle is highly unstable. While it would mean a lot to me if you would travel with me every once and awhile, I have no intention of pulling you away from your new life."

Raine almost looked like she was about to get upset. "But we…"

L lightly placed his fingers on her mouth. "Don't let your mood sour. If this is where you wish to settle for awhile, then _we_ shall start building our life together here. In fact, I've already made the arrangements. I purchased this house from Watari under my new alias. We can make this our home, Raine. We don't have to be homeless wanderers anymore. I should also mention the kitchen has a much better exhaust fan than the one in your condo."

"But… what about your job? You've always said that traveling from place to place was vital in order to protect your identity."

"The world's greatest detective is not going anywhere, Raine. Nor are the two detectives that are considered his runner ups. Those will be the titles that I keep. The other identities I use will be passed down to those at Wammy House who are interested in pursuing a career in law. That will leave a lot of my time free. I will still continue to work in secret as L, Coil and Deneuve; traveling two weeks out of every month under different aliases."

Raine tried to think on the same page as L. "We shouldn't marry under human law. Even if we use aliases, it would still be a record for your enemies to find. Our marriage under the elements is a lot more sacred than any human contract, so it shouldn't be an issue for us, right?"

"It isn't an issue, no. However..." L closed his eyes as if he were trying to picture something. "Should we ever conceive a child, I will step down as all three of the world's greatest detectives and we will live the remainder of our days comfortably without worrying about aliases and hidden enemies. It wouldn't be fair to our child if we did it any other way."

Raine didn't immediately reply. She looked as though she were staring off into space. L couldn't help but worry about what she was thinking. He didn't want to come across as a dictator by making so many big decisions at once. Taking comfort in playing with his slightly chapped lips, he decided to bring her back to the moment. "Are you in disagreement with any of the ideas I presented to you? I'm completely open for suggestions and debate."

"Hmm? Oh… no. Not at all. I'm sorry. I was just imagining little lower case L building sandcastles on the beach."

L straightened his back and lifted her up in his arms. "A lower case L? What an interesting concept. I believe we should get started right away." He carried Raine into the house at a hurried pace. Raine couldn't help but laugh at his enthusiasm. It was such a rare site to see L enthused about anything unless it involved sweets of some sort.

The bottoms of both of their jeans were drenched with sea water; as a result, their jeans where off before the foreplay even started. They undressed each other in the living room area; each exploring the other with gentle caresses and kisses. Raine revealed a little more of her emotional scarring when it sank in that she was fully nude. Her first instinct was to cover herself. She crossed her arms over her breasts and looked away as she blushed. She hung her head down almost shamefully. L knew he had to sooth her nerves before her bad memories started playing with her mind. He pulled her close to him and wrapped his arms around her, trying hard not to blush and shy away himself. "My sweet bride, you have nothing to be ashamed of. You're strikingly beautiful, inside and out. If we're moving too fast then…"

"No…" She looked up at him with a flushed face. "I'm want this, more than anything." Raine pressed her body against his and rested her head against his chest. The sound of his heartbeat calmed her more than anything. L could feel her still trembling slightly. He knew she wasn't trembling because she was cold, but he used it as an excuse to grab a king sized blanket. He sat down with her on the edge of the bed and put the blanket around her. L was so preoccupied with making sure she was comfortable, he had totally forgot about being nude himself. He had lost all modesty without realizing it.

Raine straddled L's lap and wrapped the blanket loosely around both of their torsos. L accepted the presence of the blanket without protest. He knew Raine was taking a big step. They resumed their foreplay of exploring each other; and soon, Raine was sliding herself down on him. They remained in their embrace as Raine slowly rode him. L had lost all train of logical thought. He had completely lost himself to her touches and her warmth. They whispered sweet lines to each other in every language they knew. Just as before, L climaxed only seconds after she did. There was something about the reaction of Raine's body during her orgasm that sent him completely over the edge.

L and Raine spent half of the night indulging in each other, again and again. The greatest part for L was waking up with her the next afternoon and being able to recall every intimate detail of their many encounters. There was no doubt in his mind that he had found the kind of love that his mother had referred to- the kind that most people never truly experienced.

* * *

**Right now, I'm shooting for the next chapter to be the last of this story. ****I'm very seriously debating on writing a quick bonus chapter. I've yet to decide. I seriously hope I don't leave out any loose ends. **

**I think this was the first chapter where I had a very difficult time keeping L completly in character. His character has definitly progressed far enough with the events of the story to earn him a significant change; but at the same time, I need to make sure he doesn't dive into the Kira investigation as a love striken sap. I may have developed his charceter a little too much... which is the one reason I've found that I dislike writing with other people's characters. =/**

**If you decided not to read this chapter due to the content, the biggest things you missed were L and Raine's little unity ceremony and the final passing of Onasisk. Sorry to those who thought the love scene was short, I just didn't want to turn it into such an erotic chapter, that it took away from the other key points.**

**See you guys next chapter!**


	32. Kira

**I do not own Death Note.**

**a/n: This is _Technically _the last chapter. There WILL be an epilogue (chapter 33)!**

**I'm almost certain that some of you are going to think this chapter is rushed, but it just didn't make sense to me to spend a lot of time copying dialog straight from the manga. I don't mind doing quotes here and there, but the Kira arc has already been written. Everyone pretty much already knows the dialog. I'm just filling in lost time and telling it from a different perspective. Call it lazy if you will. I call it not wasting my time copying someone else's work. I followed the timeline from volume 13 for this chapter. I didn't realize that so much took place within the first month of Light picking up the Death Note. For some reason, I was thinking it was a little more spread out.**

**

* * *

**

It had only taken a couple of days for the other earth spirits to deliver the final words of Onasisk to Raine. They had been instructed by Onasisk to wait until her 'honeymoon' was over before burdening her with bad news. The news had hit Raine hard enough to throw her into a heavy state of depression. It didn't help at all when L told her that Onasisk had negotiated her sentence. It was a heavy pain to bear knowing that Onasisk had sacrificed himself for her. Raine had used her song to return to the field so that she could be alone to mourn him. As she played, her body fell into meditation mode. The moment she opened her eyes, she saw a magnificent ginkgo tree in the middle of the field. The wild flowers that blanketed the field were in full bloom. Lines of younger tree saplings surrounded her. Her field had been sown to produce an exotic forest.

Raine started to walk away from the tree to see how far she could get before it was no longer visible. She walked on for what felt like miles; but every time she turned around, the tree didn't appear to be any further away. _'Geez, this place still needs so much work! It's like there's no concept of space or distance here!' _Raine returned to the base of the ginkgo tree and kneeled down by it. She knew she wasn't supposed to be standing still; but she didn't care. To Raine, the tree served as a gravesite. She slowly ran her hand over its trunk and started to cry. _'Onasisk… I know why it was so important to you that I have my memories restored now. It had nothing to do with helping Adian. The amount of lifespan used to summon other spirits such as rain is practically nothing. You wanted me to remember you before you died.'_

The illusionary dark forest was starting to appear as a result of Raine standing still. Though the illusions made it seem as though she was changing locations completely; the gingko tree remained visible. Once the darkness had set in, a glowing orb became visible; nestled safely in between the outer roots at the base of the tree. Raine's eyes widened. _'It's… an earth orb. This is his gift he was talking about.' _Elemental orbs played a huge part in creating and maintaining life in a world. Raine knew exactly what she needed to do with it. She picked it up and held it against the trunk of the tree; cupping her hands around it. She moved it to different parts of the trunk until she found a sensitive spot. Once she found it, the tree began to absorb the orb. She held it in place until the tree had fully absorbed it. _'This tree will be known as the sacred tree of Onasisk. The orb has become the very heart of the tree. In time, it'll begin to produce new orbs; which should keep the soil of this realm fertile.'_

Raine was overcome with sorrow. It was more than just the sadness of the enchanted forest; it was the sorrow of grieving. She felt herself starting to get drowsy. _'I can't handle this pain. I just… want to sleep.'_ Raine was about to fall into her sleep again. It was a dangerous situation for her human body. If she fell asleep in the forest, her body would fall into a coma. She heard a familiar voice as she began to doze off. "Welcome back, Akaia. I'm assuming since Onasisk has said his goodbye to you and left this existence; you are returning to serve the rest of your sentence." It was the child who had passed her judgement.

"You… you'd like that, wouldn't you? You're the one who barred the other elements from answering me and Adian the night I was abducted. You're the one who killed Onasisk! You don't know the meaning of love or compassion! You're just a stupid little kid who likes to bully people! You're the one who should be punished!" Raine suddenly didn't feel so sleepy. In a rage, she charged at the child, who looked bored. A look of annoyance crossed his face.

Raine was less than a foot away from him when an invisible force threw her back. The child still looked bored. He was surprisingly very tolerant of Raine's outburst. "You say that I am ignorant to compassion. I shall prove you wrong by overlooking this incident. I'll even take it a step further and allow you to live out the entirety of your remaining human lifespan. Should you come to your senses before then and decide to serve your sentence before your human life has expired, I will save you the trouble of escaping your body and your spirit will be guaranteed to see another day. I will extract your spirit from the body myself. If you wait for your natural human death, you're on your own to escape your body."

"I didn't have any problems escaping my first human body. I don't need help to escape another." Raine paced around in an attempt to make the forest go away.

"Suit yourself. Should you fail; I will not mourn your passing."

"Gee, I'm so upset." Raine cut her eyes.

"I find your attitude slightly entertaining. Most elementals would never have the gall to speak to me in such a way. Before you go, I must inform you that I can no longer allow you to keep that flute with you- not so long as you're a human."

Raine's mouth dropped. "Y-you've got to be kidding me! No! I'm not giving you my flute! You can go fuck yourself, because you're not getting it!"

"I can see now why you got along so well with the earth spirit. You have absolutely no respect for authority." The child suddenly smiled. "Tell me something, Akaia of the Wind. Were you so disrespectful to the man who had power over you when you were sodomized; or were you in so much despair, all you could do was beg him to show a little mercy?"

Raine stepped back and threw her arms around herself. "Shut up! Shut up, you fucking little brat!" She was yelling and choking back tears at the same time. He knew all about the details of her abduction. He knew what had happened to her in the van on the way to the paper factory. She detested him. "Take the damn flute! Take it and leave me the fuck alone!"

All he had to do was hold his hand out; and the flute appeared in the child's hands. "Understand that instruments such as these are not meant for the human world. You will find it waiting for you by this tree when and if you return to the spirit world."

Raine was surprised. "You're… going to give it back?"

"Yet again… proof that I'm not ignorant to the emotion known as compassion. Don't worry about your realm either. I take good care of my things; and for now, this realm is mine. You don't have to worry about there being any lack of the other elements. How much more compassionate could I possibly be? I should be called… 'Prince Compassionate'. I shall meet with you again, eventually. Right now, I'd like you to leave." Only seconds after the words had left the child's mouth, Raine felt herself being pulled out of her trance.

When she woke up, she saw that her flute was nowhere to be found. Raine looked to see if he had at least left the case that L had given her. She didn't actually see him holding it; so it had to still be there. "No!" It wasn't. Was it because of the symbols burned into the wood? Were they not meant for human eyes? "No! It isn't fair!" Raine pounded her fist hard on the floor- and then cradled it in pain.

It didn't take L long to appear by her side. He had heard her yelling from the other end of the house. He kneeled down beside her and tried to take her hand. "What's going on? Did you hurt yourself?"

Raine wouldn't let L take her injured hand. Still in the middle of a tantrum, she jerked it away from him. "Just leave it alone! It hurts! I can get a bag of ice!" She couldn't stop crying, despite the fact she knew she would get her flute back. She hoped and prayed that the deal included her case. It had more sentimental value to her than the flute itself. Raine allowed L to hold her as she cried. Her anger was starting to subside into pouting. "That demonic little kid took my flute, L! He even took my case!"

L stroked Raine's head to comfort her. "Why? What use could a being as powerful as him possibly have for it?"

"He doesn't need it for anything. I'm not allowed to have it while I'm a human. He stored it away by or in the tree that Onasisk left me. Since I'll be in suspended animation again once this body dies, I won't see it for another two centuries!"

L asked an innocent question. "If you're going to get it back; then why are you so upset?"

Raine pushed herself away from him; preparing to throw another tantrum. "Did you not hear what I just said? Two centuries, L! Two centuries! That's assuming I even escape this damn body!"

Since Raine obviously didn't want to be held anymore, L decided to bite his nails. "You know, Raine… you probably don't want to hear this, but I understand why he took it away from you. Humans really aren't meant to possess the sort of powers that spirits have. Most of our powers lie dormant while we're human for a reason. What little powers we _do_ manage to tap into shortens our human life. It's all for a reason. Living organisms are not meant to use any sort of magic that defies the laws of physics. If you live as a human, then you have to accept that condition; or things will be thrown off balance and the world of the living will eventually be thrown into chaos."

Raine sighed before she looked down and closed her eyes. "It's amazing to hear those words coming from such a young spirit. How did you get so wise in such a short amount of time?" It wasn't said in a sarcastic tone. It actually sounded admirable.

"I'm simply relaying back what you've taught me." L was tracing the edges of his top teeth with his thumb.

"I know you're right; but it still angers me. Why do I have to follow the rules of a child?"

"I highly doubt he's really a child, Raine. Not in human terms." L attempted to move closer to her again. She had calmed down enough to allow it. "I believe we should forget about our connections to the elements for the time being and enjoy the short time we have left as humans. Dwelling on the business we have in a different reality will only lead to misery. You don't have to agree with me, of course. It's just an idea I thought I would mention."

Raine remained silent for awhile. She had slightly mixed emotions at first; but the more she thought about it, the more she realized that L's idea would probably save them both a lot of depression. "I like that idea, L. Let's just forget about all of it for now; and enjoy being exactly what we are- humans."

* * *

**One Month Later**

"Doesn't it seem odd to you, Watari?" L was speaking with Watari on his cell phone. Watari was in Toronto making rounds to one of his orphanages; but he never lost contact with L.

"Indeed, it's _very_ odd. One would think the hand of God was striking down all of the criminals; but it seems only the criminals who are well known to the public are being targeted. The ones who were apprehended by secret services and whatnot have not been touched."

"Exactly. If the arrests are never made public, then 'God' doesn't know about the criminals. There's already a fan-made website online dedicated to this new 'God'. They're calling him 'Kira'. Watari… this is big. I know it is. This could very well be the challenge that I've waited so long for." L clenched his fist in excitement. The thought of a puzzle that would put his abilities to the ultimate test sent waves of adrenaline rushing through him. It was the sort of case he had always hoped for.

"Have you all ready started your investigation? Will my presence be required to address the ICPO?"

"I'm afraid so, yes; though I hate to pull you away from your work at the orphanages. I imagine the heads of Interpol are pointing fingers at each other as we speak. I'll need their full cooperation for this case."

Watari's end of the line was silent for a moment. "…Do you really think they'll cooperate without trying to track you down in the process? They might lose sight of their true goal."

"You don't play a game of chess without pawns, Watari."

"Do you believe one of the organizations within the ICPO is responsible?"

"There's a small possibility; however, I stumbled upon an interesting case that happened only a few days prior to the mass killings. I'm almost sure it's connected. Having said that, I believe we will soon be making a special trip to Japan."

After L ended the call with Watari, he sat down in front of his monitor and closed his eyes to clear his head. _'The general public sees this as the wrath of God. However, after all I've learned in this past year… I know better. Only a human would single out a particular group of people. A true god never discriminates.'_ L smirked to himself_. 'I suppose it's up to me to show this 'God' that's he's part of the very demographic he's trying to exterminate.'_

A sudden knock on the door pulled L away from his thoughts. "Yes?"

Raine entered his dark and empty study room with a tray of food. "I brought you some cake and tea. Don't you think you should turn the light on? You're going to ruin your eyes working in the dark."

"I prefer it this way, actually. You didn't have to bring me food; but you have my gratitude." L never looked away from his screen. It had been a long time since Raine had seen L so engrossed in a case.

Raine sat the tray down next to L and settled beside him. She put her arm around him and rested her head on his shoulder as she looked at his screen. "You're investigating the Kira murders, aren't you? They were talking about it in class today. My students seem to think it's some sort of experiment being conducted by the United Nations."

"No. That's not it." L took a bite of his cake before placing his hands on Raine's. "May I ask you something?"

"Sure." Raine shrugged slightly.

"Do you support Kira?"

Raine sounded surprised that L would even ask such a thing. "No, I don't. In fact, as an elemental, I have nothing but disrespect and anger towards any human or creature that would disrupt the very balance of all that _is_ just so they can portray themselves as a superior being. I imagine the higher powers have already judged him for such an insult."

"As an elemental… an elemental in particular would find this unacceptable. Tell me something, Raine. Do you think these incidents are the result of a supernatural power?"

"Well…" Raine thought for a moment. "An elemental wouldn't posses such a power; and the higher spirits wouldn't discriminate by killing only criminals who have broken human laws. It could be a death spirit; but again, there's no reason it would discriminate. Discrimination is a human quality, not a spirit's. The one thing I know about spirits is that they're very bored creatures. It's easy to get bored when you exist for centuries. Most spirits find the human world boring. They want nothing to do with human squabbles and their stupidity. It's a very rare occasion when one chooses to interact with the world of the living. I've honestly never heard of a similar case to this that involved the spirit world."

"Can a spirit of death live as a human?"

"No. That is a privilege that only an elemental can indulge in; mainly because it's the elements that make up living organisms."

"So, I'm right in assuming that this is more than likely the work of a human. Because spirits are often reluctant to interfere with human affairs, I will investigate this case assuming that there are no supernatural elements involved. However, I cannot rule out the idea completely. You said that it was a rare occasion that spirits interacted with humans; but the possibility is still there, no matter how small. The cathedral slayings serve as the perfect example. I will set the probability at 1%."

Raine could hear the hint of excitement in L's voice. This was the first time he had ever dealt with a case like this. He had to prove that the deaths of criminals were in fact murders, and not the work of an angry god. Then he had to find and apprehend the culprit. L had to start with absolutely nothing and turn it into a solvable case. Every single individual in the world's population was a suspect. Raine wished she could be more helpful, but she didn't really know that much about death spirits (despite the fact that Onasisk loved to keep them as company). She had met both shinigamis as well as reapers before; but she didn't find either of them interesting enough to learn about what they did (or how they did it). To her, death was death. There weren't any special tricks to it; and if there was, she had never cared.

L continued talking, but it seemed like he was talking to himself. "I'm fairly sure that these deaths are the work of one person. However, I won't be able to profile him until after I've confronted him directly. I'm interested to find out what sort of foe I'm facing."

"Wait… did you just say you were going to confront Kira directly?"

"Correct. I will address the ICPO tomorrow. I'm almost certain that Kira is in Japan. I'm making arrangements to flush him out of hiding by using his own arrogance against him. It will also allow me to test my theory. I can't eliminate the possibility that Kira can kill without any sort of direct contact."

Raine felt very uneasy about L's over-eager attitude. There was something that separated this case from all the past cases that L had worked on. It was that 'something' that was fueling L's testosterone. She knew he had always longed for this sort of challenge; but even so, if L underestimated the challenger… L's _own_ arrogance and over confidence could very well end up costing him his life. "L… these killings have only been going on for a week or more. Kira has no name or face and you have absolutely nothing to build your case on right now. Don't you think you should wait until…"

"I have more than enough to build my case, Raine. What do you think I've been working on so obsessively for the past two days? It won't be long now. The ultimate game is about to begin!" L was up and pacing. Raine thought he sounded almost like a villainous mad genius who was plotting to take down his arch nemesis. He was like a kid with a brand new videogame- the kind that'd make people camp out at the game store just so they could be the first to buy it. L clenched his fist as continued with his… speech? "It's my duty- no, my calling- to find him and show him what justice truly is! I'll uncover Kira's real identity if it's the last thing I do!"

"L… I don't like this idea of you confronting Kira directly; but I know that this guy has to be stopped. I also know that you're the only one who can do it." Raine closed her eyes, hesitating to continue. "I can see you've already put your heart into this. For that reason alone, you have my full support; but you have to promise me that you won't underestimate this situation. I have a bad feeling that things might start to get messy. This could be more than just a game of strategy. In a battle of chance, the stronger player could still lose." Raine was standing again. She wasn't sure if she should stay and eat cake with him or leave so he could lose himself in his new 'videogame'.

L walked over to Raine and embraced her tightly. "Raine, I promise you I will expose Kira. It has to be done. His brand of justice is misaligned. As an elemental, you understand that he can't be allowed to run wild for too much longer."

"I know. I understand that; but you can't expect me to be completely pessimistic about it. I have faith in you. I really do; but…"

L was kissing her before she could finish expressing anymore concern. Raine wondered briefly if that was his way of getting her full approval. His kiss was urgent and passionate; pleading with her to give in. It didn't take her long to lose herself to him. He pulled away and smiled as he caught his breath. He was about to go back for more until his cell phone rang. L smiled apologetically. "Excuse me, my dear." It was Watari, confirming the time of the ICPO meeting. As soon as the call was over, L was back at his computer.

Raine didn't take it personally. She knew what was happening was big. Humans were not meant to posses the sort of power that Kira was displaying. It worried her. She ran through a list of all the spirits she had encountered in her short century of existence. Even when she thought of the shinigami; it didn't stand out to her. The fact that the killer was discriminating threw her off course completely. It also seemed too organized. Death spirits didn't operate in such a fashion. It was just unheard of. Frustrated that she couldn't come up with anything, she left him to his work and decided to do more experiments with cooking. _'…because practice makes delicious… eventually.'_

_

* * *

_

**A few weeks later**

Their Christmas together had been a very short one. L was spending roughly 85% of his time in pursuit of Kira. Watari was in Japan dealing with the task force, so he was out of commission for the holidays. L was starting to lose even more sleep than usual. The bags under his eyes were becoming more defined than ever. Raine was actually surprised that L hadn't forgotten about Christmas completely. He managed to take a break long enough to give her a passionate evening on Christmas Eve; but even then, he seemed distracted. Raine could feel herself getting frustrated, though she didn't show it. She was ready for the Kira investigation to be over with, though she had to admit that L had accomplished a lot more than expected in only a few weeks worth of time.

All of Raine's classes had daily discussions about Kira. She used it as an opportunity for her students to converse with each other using the course language. Being a facility that considered L a mentor, there were very few students who weren't on L's side. There was never a top story on television (nor was there ever a headline in the papers) that didn't somehow involve the name 'Kira'. It wasn't just L who was obsessed with Kira, it was the entire world. It made Raine sick to her stomach.

Only two days after Christmas, Raine awoke to find L outside; throwing handfuls of wet sand and kicking at nothing. She took note that it was raining and knew that something was wrong. As she started walking out on the beach, L caught sight of her from the corner of his eye. Realizing he was being watched, L immediately changed his demeanor and stood still with his back to her. His fists were balled up too tightly for him to stick his hands in his pockets. Raine stopped about a foot away from him and stared out at the sea. "It's raining, L. I think it's safe to say something is wrong."

L was sulking like a baby. "You always assume that every time it rains, I'm the one who's responsible. It irks me to no end."

"No, I don't! There's no need to be such an ass! Something is bothering you! It'd be stupid to think it involved anything other than Kira. Did he pull a fast one on you?"

L didn't look away from the ocean. "They're dead… all twelve of them."

"All twelve? All twelve of whom?" Raine obviously wasn't completely up to date with what L had been doing. She had been trying to stay out of his way.

"Twelve innocent lives- twelve _precious_ lives that ended prematurely while working under me. I had them investigate members of the NPO and their families because there's a leak in their system. I have no doubt now that Kira is among those that were being investigated. While that piece of information alone is very useful, I'm afraid I've still lost the battle. I've lost the support of the FBI; and though the end result will prove useful in weeding out the less trustworthy members of the NPA, I'm afraid I have no other choice but…" L stopped himself. He knew if he finished his sentence, Raine would get highly upset. With all the negative emotions he was already feeling, L wasn't sure if he could handle upsetting Raine as well.

L accepted Raine's embrace. He held on to her as though they were about to say a very unwanted goodbye. He kissed her on top of her head and took her scent. "Raine…" L's voice was a low whisper. He leaned next to Raine's ear to make sure she could hear him over the sound of the sea. "I want you to try and picture what the world would be like under Kira's rule. It sounds wonderful to most people right now- to live in a world with no crime; but once he has established absolute power, Kira will make new laws. It could be a crime to be lazy or to dress inappropriately. It would most definitely be a crime to disagree with him. Kira would introduce his own set of morals and values; and that would be the new law. In the end, basic human rights would be non-existent. It would be an automatic death sentence to even have an opinion. Kira decides who lives and who dies, criminal or not. The world population would more than likely be wiped out, save for a select few. He'll pass his power down to his successors before his own death and the cycle will never end. That isn't the sort of world I want our children to inherit, assuming they even live to see it."

"I know you're right. The more power Kira possesses, the more corrupt he'll become. He's already shown us he's willing to kill more than criminals. He'll kill anyone whom he sees as a threat to his perfect society."

L hesitated, but he knew he had to tell her. "And that is why I need you to understand why I have to go to Japan. I realize now that this is more than just a game. This is a very serious situation- one that must be resolved. I'm afraid I have no other choice, but to risk my very life to stop it. Even that isn't enough to compensate for the lives I've already sacrificed." He was blaming himself for the deaths of the FBI agents. L was beginning to sink into his inner self loathing again. Raine understood completely. She knew what it was like to feel responsible for someone else's death. She, herself, felt responsible for the death of Onasisk. She was unprepared for what he said next. "I leave for Japan tomorrow evening. I will have to show my face as L for the very first time."

Raine started to cry. She couldn't find her words for several minutes. All she could do was cling to him and sob. L felt his bottom lip quiver several times as he held on to her. Raine eventually managed to find her voice. "You can't! You can't do this! You can't give away your identity! There has to be another way!"

L kissed her tears away. "No, Raine. I'm afraid there _is_ no other way. This is a result of my failure. I'm so very sorry that this is happening."

"I want to go with you."

L looked up at the sky and sighed. He had been expecting her to say that. "Absolutly not. I will not allow you to fall prey to Kira. If that were to happen, then it would be all over."

"But if something happens to you…"

"I will have Watari with me, Raine. I'll be fine. Right now, it's vital that I keep my connections out of the public eye. The future depends on it."

"But, I want…"

"Raine, I don't mean to say this to hurt you; but you'll only serve as a distraction. I cannot allow my love and desire for you to interfere with the investigation. Do you understand?"

Raine sulked. "Gee, could you put it anymore bluntly?" She knew that it hadn't been L's intention to hurt her feelings. He was only telling her the truth. She leaned down slightly and rested her head against his chest so she could his heart beating. It was a sound that always calmed her. "I want to hear that heart still beating when you get back. Promise me you'll come back to me alive."

L's eye twitched. "I… can't promise. I can't control death. I could fall victim to Kira, or I could choke on a donut. We're never guaranteed a tomorrow, even without Kira. However, I will do everything in my power to stay alive and return home to you with that heartbeat." He gently held her chin and tilted her head up so he could kiss her. That seemed to be L's favorite thing to do to take Raine's mind off of something.

L spent half of that evening making preparations for his trip to Japan. Afterward, he shared an intimate encounter with Raine. Raine was a little annoyed at first that he insisted on keeping his cell phone on. It rang several times; all of which he stopped to answer. Once L was sure the phone calls were done, he finally turned his phone off (or so Raine thought). He had actually just set it to vibrate. He was very lucky not to receive anymore phone calls from Watari after that.

Through his broken breaths of pleasure, L tried his best to continue comforting Raine. It was vital to him to ease her mind before leaving. "I know I can win, Raine. Once I return to you, we shall take a vacation around the world together without any distractions. Afterward, we can work toward building a permanent home and starting a family. I want us to live in peace, Raine. I am more than willing to step down as L if that's what it takes. I will use the Kira case as my grand finale- L's greatest achievement." There was a strong feeling of sorrow between the two of them as they made love. It felt almost like a possible final goodbye. Both of them were unnerved by it; yet they didn't let the feeling ruin the short time they had left together.

The next day was a hectic one for L. He had to make one last stop at Wammy's before he left. It was a Saturday, so the students didn't have class. L and Raine sat in Roger's office. L was a little reluctant to discuss what he needed to with Raine in the room, so he decided to send Raine on an errand. "Raine, do you think you could go to the student's living quarters and retrieve Mello?"

"Mello? Why?" Raine was unaware that L had successors.

"I need to have a quick word with him. He knows who I am. Please tell him to bring chocolate as well- as much as he cares to spare." He kissed Raine's hand and winked at her.

After she walked out of the room, Roger handed L a letter. "This came for you in the mail yesterday. It's a letter from Beyond Birthday."

L arched his brow as he took the letter. "Oh?" He opened it up with great curiosity. The writing was in sloppy print; written entirely in caps. _'AVOID THE EYES! DON'T LET THEM SEE YOU, OR IT'S ALL OVER! -B'_

L carefully folded the letter and tucked it away in its envelope. "Roger, you said that B was diagnosed as being delusional just before he left here. Am I correct?"

"Yes. He claimed he could see a person's lifespan just by looking at them. He'd go on and on about… what did he call them… 'shinigamis'?"

"I see. Well Roger; not to change the subject, but this needs to be addressed before Raine returns. There is a very good chance I will not survive to see the end of this case. Kira appears to be my intellectual equal. I don't find that within itself threatening. What worries me is the possibility that…" He didn't want to say it out loud. It sounded too stupid. _'…he may have an ally that's not of this world.'_

As far as L knew, Kira could only kill with a name and a face. Based on that, Kira himself would be easy for L to take down; unless… the invisible ally was in fact real. _'I can't rule out the possibility that Kira has an unfair advantage over me through means of an unknown force._ _Even if that's the case, I won't allow my death to be the end of it. I will lay the groundwork and set my traps. He'll hear me, but he'll never see me coming. I will restore balance to this world, even if I have to sacrifice my own life in the process!' _L suddenly forced it to the back of his mind, refusing to put his gut feeling over his logic. He couldn't be too quick to jump to seemingly irrational conclusions concerning supernatural forces.

Without finishing his last thought to Roger, L continued. "I have set up a system that will not be visible to the eyes of the Japanese task force. It's designed to notify you immediately if it remains inactive for an extended period of time. If either Watari or myself fails to refresh this system, then it means our lives have expired. You will be notified with an automated message that confirms it."

"If you really think the stakes are this high, then surely you've decided on a successor."

"Near and Mello as individuals cannot surpass me, Roger. They must work together if they wish to finish what I've started. Hopefully, they won't have to start from scratch as I had to do. At any rate, this is all hypothetical discussion. I have no desire to die. When I return, I shall discuss with you Mello and Near's possible future in more depth."

"Understood. Will Ms. Lawliet be accompanying you?"

"No. Raine is to remain here. She's learned enough in the past two months to know how to keep herself out of harm's way. I need for Wammy House to be her support system. She's going to need it while I'm away. Should something happen, you are to contact Watari immediately. Please make sure not to mention my 'back up' plan to her. She has more than enough to deal with as it is."

"Understood."

It wasn't long before Raine returned with Mello. Mello was carrying two full boxes of chocolate bars. L's eyes lit up when Mello placed one of the boxes in front of him. "It's all yours. All I ask of you in return is to take down that Kira bastard."

"I assure you, Mello; I will personally deliver Kira's head to you on a platter. He will never see his 'perfect world'. I can say that with full confidence. Thank you for your generous gift, Mello." L wasted no time unwrapping his first chocolate bar.

Mello sat down next to L with the other box and followed his lead. "So, why did you call _me_ in here and not Near?" His eyes suddenly grew wide. "You've chosen your successor! Am I right? You picked me over that twerp! I mean, why wouldn't you? I'm obviously the better of the two; not to mention I give you chocolate! What has Near ever given you?"

L didn't appear to be listening. He looked more concerned with eating his chocolate bar. "Mello… mmmm, almonds… I hate to be the bearer of bad news; but that's not the reason I called you in here."

Mello glared at L. "What? W-what the hell? Make up your mind now, or I'll take back my box of chocolate!"

L responded by emptying the contents of the box onto Roger's desk and handing the empty box to Mello. "Here you go." He cradled the chocolate bars in his arms and guarded them as he talked. "You are indeed my successor, Mello. But Near is also my successor. The two of you combined will be more than enough to take my place. The two of you as individuals are mediocre at best."

For the very first time, Mello actually wanted to punch L as hard as he could. "I won't accept that, L! You're just taking the lazy way out because you don't want to deal with it!"

"Mello, we shall discuss this further when I return from Japan. I think you'll be interested in what I have to say then."

Mello relaxed his shoulders and tried to sit down. Raine was completely taken aback. She had no idea that Mello was L's successor. L had never mentioned it. She remained silent as she let the news sink in. L eventually stood up from his chair and walked toward the door. Mello looked confused. "Wait a minute! You called me in here for a reason, right! I know you wouldn't be low enough to summon me just to get a box of chocolate!"

L smirked. "Would I not?" Just when he thought Mello would jump out of his chair, L opened the door and made a gesture for Mello to follow. "I'd like to have a word with you in private, if you don't mind."

Like an obedient puppy, Mello jumped up and walked out into the empty corridor with L. "Well, what's going on?"

"I have a mission for you- one that only you are capable of doing while I'm away."

Mello perked up. "Are you being serious? I accept! What does the legendary L request of me, his loyal and _only_ successor?"

"I want you to take care of her for me."

Mello's excitement suddenly fizzled. "What?"

"Mello, you have the single most important job. You have to keep L's heart beating. Raine just happens to _be_ my heart. I shall reward you greatly for your efforts. I am very happy to have the pleasure of calling you my brother and ally. I know you won't let me down." L actually gave Mello a sincere smile.

Mello smiled his usual sly smile and bit into his chocolate bar. "Anything for you, brother. I'll make sure Ms. Lawliet stays safe. I'll even keep Matt away from her."

The corner of L's mouth frowned slightly at Mello's joke. "Yes. It would be greatly appreciated. Thank you, Mello." L was still fairly sure that Raine wouldn't fall for a 13 year old.

The farewell was fast approaching. L had arranged for Roger to drive him to the airport. Before he could get into the car, Raine threw her arms around him and started to cry again. "I don't want you to go! I don't like this at all!"

Once again, L kissed her tears away before bringing his lips to rest on her own. He spoke to her in the elemental language as they kissed. "You have to be strong for me, Raine. This isn't a permanent 'goodbye'. You are my spiritual mate. We can't be separated so easily."

"I love you, L Lawliet. Please, be careful! And don't eat any donuts!"

L almost broke their kiss with a quick laugh as he recalled what he had told her on the beach about choking on a donut. "I love you too, Raine Lawliet. I can't communicate with you through letters or any form of technology, but we still have our dream taps. I'll look forward to my brief moments of sleep." With a gentle nudge to her nose, he pulled away from her and kissed her hand.

Mello was standing close by; looking disgusted at L and Raine's display of affection. He was already taking his mission to heart. As long as L had his hands full with the Kira case, Mello would protect Raine with his life. He knew that Near would never do such a thing. Near didn't know anything about emotions, or what it meant to love someone. He smiled to himself as he thought of the all the qualities that Near lacked.

Mello's thoughts were quickly interrupted when he heard the car door slam. L was in the car. His window was down and Raine was starting to bawl again. Mello rushed to Raine's side and put his hand on her shoulder. "It's okay, Ms. Lawliet. L is the best of the best. He can't lose."

L nodded his head at Mello in approval and kissed Raine's hand again before letting go. Raine looked into his dark eyes one last time, and then the car was pulling away. She watched the car vanish from sight, and then fell to the ground in tears. Mello's eyes narrowed at what he thought was an overly dramatized moment, but he still stuck to his mission and kneeled down beside her so she would have a shoulder to cry on. "…Ms. Lawliet…" Mello wasn't sure how to comfort a woman. He felt very awkward. "I-I have some more chocolate bars, if you'd like one… I mean… I'm just saying."

Raine tried very hard to regain her composure. "I'd like that a lot, Mello. Thanks." She got up and stared down the road as she tried to wipe away her tears. L was willing to put his life on the line to literally save a world that normally looked down on him. As sad as it made Raine; she couldn't help but be proud of him. She had already started to dream of the day they reunited- when they could live out the rest of their human lives in peace. She knew the day would come when all of their trials were behind them. It would be _that_ day that they could finally be together in a world of their own.

* * *

**I'm really hoping the epilogue will be more of a satisfiying ending than this. I already know for a fact that I'm going to get very mixed reviews on it. You can expect to see it here within the next three weeks.**

**My DA art contest for this story officially starts 02/01. The prizes aren't as good as I had originally wanted them to be (first prize is a three month commission and journal feature), but it's something. Details for that are on my Deviant Art page.**


	33. Epilogue

**I DO NOT own Death note!**

**a/n: Don't read through the first half of this, get pissed and then stop reading! Please, please just finish it! You won't know the ending if you stop before it's over!**

**Most of the dialog between L, Light and the taskforce is taken straight from the manga (not the anime). I hope you guys enjoy. I'm very nervous about this one!**

* * *

April 25, 2004

"I want to meet you, Kira. I don't think you have the eyes, but I won't kill you. Don't worry." The distorted voice of the second Kira eerily rang through the speakers as L and the members of the task force listened. Unlike the original Kira, this one could kill with only a face.

It unnerved L. The appearance of Kira's new ally made L's chances for survival plummet. He immediately thought of the letter that he had received from Beyond Birthday. _'Avoid the eyes. If they see you, it's all over.'_ L brought his hand to his face as drops of sweat trickled down.

"Having the eyes…? What does that mean?" Aizawa just didn't get it; though it wasn't his fault. Aizawa was still holding on to what reality was _supposed_ to be. L had discovered that reality was really nothing more than another sick dream world.

L didn't answer. He was too lost in the horror of realizing the worst case scenario was coming true. He listened intently to the video tape as the voice continued. "Please think of a way we can meet without the police knowing. We can confirm each other when we meet by showing our shinigami."

Upon hearing the word _shinigami_, L completely lost his composure. Without warning, he threw his hands in the air and started to scream. The task force looked a little taken aback. It was the first time they had ever witnessed L showing any emotion- and boy, was it ever dramatic. L actually fell out of his chair. His face was covered with a mix of fear and disbelief. B's talk about shinigami eyes hadn't been delusional at all. Shinigami's were very real; they were the death spirits that Raine had mentioned. He tried hard to gather his thoughts. _'I can't reveal that I have any sort of connections to the spirit world. If I reveal to the task force that I actually believe in these creatures, they will see me as delusional… just as everyone saw B. I can't afford to lose what little of their support I have.'_

"Are you okay, Ryuazaki?

L sat halfway up with a look of horror on his face. "Shinigami? Are we supposed to accept the existence of such a thing?"

"Shinigami? No way…" Matsuda didn't get it either. Of course, that was to be expected.

"You're right, Ryuzaki. Shinigami can't possibly exist." Light Yagami _acted_ like he didn't get it.

L looked up at Light briefly. _'That's right, Light. Use the same trick I'm using and play stupid. Though I've yet to figure out how or why, you have a connection to these creatures. Is it the same connection that B had? No. If that were the case, you would have the eyes, as the second Kira does.' _L felt as though his head were about to split. "Kira also made a prisoner write something that seemed to suggest the existence of shinigami…"

"Then should we assume this is the same Kira? The same person using the same word?" Chief Soichiro Yagami (Light's father) apparently didn't get it either.

"That's not possible, Dad. If this was the same Kira, then there's no way he'd reply to our video tape. Why would Kira go along with our plan and stop L from going on TV?" Light was always on a roll. There was no way he wanted anyone to think that the real Kira would be as stupid as the one who had been sending the video tapes.

"Then the real and second Kira have joined forces and are trying to confuse the investigation with the word "shinigami"? There was something about Aizawa's idea that made L shiver inside. It was the idea of the two Kiras joining forces.

"That's also not possible." L began to pick himself up; followed by his chair. "As Light said, if they were working together, then they wouldn't stop their plan to kill me. The second Kira is acting from his own feelings, and not Kira's ideals. It's not related to Kira's goals of 'punishing criminals to change the world and killing anyone who gets in my way'. The second Kira's own feelings…" He stopped long enough to get back into his chair. "… are the desire to meet Kira."

The rest of the taskforce looked a little dumbfounded, which gave Light all the more initiative to chime in. "That's right; the second Kira isn't acting out of a sense of changing the world. He's merely interested in Kira. Maybe this 'shinigami' term is describing the ability to kill? 'Confirming each other by showing our shinigami.' We could think of that as meaning that they will show each other their abilities to kill people."

"...Yes…" It was L's rotten luck that he was such a young elemental. Had his spirit have been fully matured, he would have been able to see the shinigami that was currently standing behind Light; just as easily as Raine had seen Gukku. L felt the sudden need to speak with Raine. It was almost impossible to do dream taps because of the distance and time differences. L wasn't exactly in a position to take naps whenever he felt like it, so communicating with Raine proved very difficult. _'The second Kira- the hidden ally with the upper advantage… it's exactly as I feared. If the two Kiras join forces…things are not looking for me.'_

_

* * *

_

November 05, 2004

The storm was strong enough to cause brownouts across the city. The busy streets had quickly emptied of the civilians hurrying home from work. The streets below were silent, yet the rain falling down was so heavy; the sound of that silence was quickly washed away. On a high rooftop stood the eye of the storm; his hands stuffed deep in his pockets as he looked out at nothing. Despite the loud sounds of the rainfall, he could still hear his imaginary bells. Oddly, the sound didn't seem to frighten him anymore. Instead, it left him feeling numb, with a strange hint of serenity. L knew he didn't have much time left. Tonight would be his final storm.

L closed his eyes and focused as hard as he could. It had been very difficult to contact Raine through dream taps in the months that had passed. L rarely ever had time to close his eyes; and what few occasions he did manage to sleep, he was too exhausted to dream. In what might have been considered sheer luck, L was able to break through this time. The scenery of the dream tap was exactly the same as what he was looking at in reality. Raine could see him standing alone on the rooftop, completely drenched. She immediately ran to him. "L?"

There was a moment of uneasy silence. L's drenched hair clung to the front of his face as he stared down. Rather than speak, he reached out and pulled her as close to himself as he possibly could. Though it was difficult to hear, Raine was almost certain that she could hear L choking back on tears. "Raine… I… I love you… I've loved you… since day one. I knew the moment I picked you up that I never wanted to put you down again. Forgive me."

Raine was a little confused with his sob filled Japanese. "Forgive you? Forgive you for what? W-why are you crying? What's going on?"

L tightened his hold on her as he spoke through his clenched teeth. He switched to English. "Crying? No. I never cry on the outside. I won't give him the satisfaction of seeing my tears. It's my soul that's crying right now, Raine. It's my soul that's holding you. In reality, I cry without shedding a single tear." Raine could feel him trembling uncontrollably. She was a little unprepared for what he said next. "I'm afraid, Raine. When it comes right down to it, I'm afraid of death."

Raine's back stiffened. "L… what's going on? Tell me, right now! Have you managed to uncover more information about shinigamis? Have you figured out how they kill, and how they're connected to the two Kiras?" Raine had told L everything she knew about shinigamis throughout the course of the investigation; but in truth, her knowledge was very limited. It was normally unheard of for elementals to associate with shinigamis. Though Onasisk had associated with them frequently; he had only done so while he was in exile. Raine had only been introduced to Gukku long enough to regain her memories.

Her information about Gukku had made it easy for L to tie Light and Misa's memory loss to shinigamis, but there were still a lot of blanks that had been left unfilled. The single most important piece of information Raine was able to offer him had been the most disturbing of all. Those who fell prey to the power of a shinigami lost every last drop of lifespan; including the amount needed for an elemental to escape a human body.

L brought his finger to her lips. "My dear… are you familiar with… Death Notes?"

"Death Notes? No. I'm afraid I've never heard of them. Is that…"

"It's how shinigamis kill. It's how both of the Kiras kill. Whoever's name is written dies. I've seen the shinigami that's attached to the notebook we currently have in custody. I have full reason to believe that this creature has allied itself with the two Kiras and has written fake rules in notebook to throw the investigation off. If the rules in question are indeed proven to be fake, then this case will more than likely be solved."

"But… that's good… right?"

L hesitated. He knew what he was about to say wasn't going to make her happy. "I… I've successfully laid the ground work for Near and Mello to continue this investigation. They will have the advantage that I did not. They'll already know about the Death Note; and their suspicious eyes will fall on the man whom I know will take my place and pretend as though I never passed away. The foundation has been built; it's now up to my successors to finish it."

Of course, L had been right. Raine wasn't happy at all with his words. He could feel her fingers clutching his arms. "No! What the hell are you saying? You sound like you're giving up! You can't die, L! Don't you understand that if your name is written in that book, you'll meet your final death?"

"I don't call it _giving up_, Raine. I call it facing the grim reality of things. The eyes have seen me- both Misa Amane's as well as the shinigami's. It's only a matter of time before…"

"No! No, no, no!" Raine was quickly losing her composure. "You can't just accept this! You can't die! I won't be able to save this time! You can avoid this, L! I know you can! You're a goddamn genius, are you not?"

"…Raine…" L held her as tightly as he could, not sure what to say to console her. "… This is the first we've had a successful dream tap in several months. Let's not make it unpleasant."

Raine sobbed into his chest. L felt completely helpless to comfort her. Both of their hearts were breaking, and there was nothing either one of them could do to make things better. Though the feeling was quite different than it would have been if they were actually together in person, L kissed her passionately- reluctant to pull away. He knew it would be the last kiss that they ever shared. He had to make it count. He had to make sure she knew how much he loved her.

Once he pulled away from her, L rested his brow on hers and gave her a melancholy smile. Raine tried to smile for him, but it proved very difficult. "I want to be there with you, L. I'm begging you. I should have been there from the very beginning."

"Raine, I know you don't believe this; but your presence here wouldn't have produced a different outcome."

"You're lying, L! You know you are!"

"I would not waste my last words to you on a lie."

"You're last words? You can't mean that, L! You can't possibly mean that!"

L didn't answer. Instead, he pulled away from her and looked towards the sky again, forcing his hands back into his drenched pockets. "L?" No answer. Raine waved her hand in front of his face. No response. _'He's losing the dream tap. Is something distracting him?' _Raine saw L's head slowly turn to his left. She couldn't see what had caught his attention. Before she knew it, Raine was being pulled back to her own reality. She suddenly found herself in the teacher's lounge. It was daylight in the UK. Raine had fallen asleep on her lunch hour after being overcome by an unexplained drowsiness.

Raine bolted out of the teacher's lounge and ran towards Roger's office. She wore an expression of panic; which didn't go unnoticed by Mello as he caught sight of her racing across the courtyard. She stormed through Roger's office without even bothering to knock. She was too upset to remember manners. "Roger, I have to go to Japan, now! He's in trouble! I know you know where he is! I need an address! Please, Roger!"

Roger was just finishing lunch. He looked a little startled by Raine's abrupt entrance. "Ms. Lawliet, I assure you; I have no address for L and Watari's current location. I'm sure they're both just fine. If they weren't, then I would kn…" Roger stopped himself, remembering L's request that Raine not know about the 'backup plan.' He was a little too late.

"You would know, would you? Then you must have _some_ way of contacting them!" Raine was speaking louder than usual.

"Ms. Lawliet, I'm going to have to ask you to calm down. What is all of this about anyway? Why this sudden desire to go to Japan?"

Mello entered Roger's office before Raine could answer. "What's happening? Is there news from L?"

Roger looked annoyed. "Doesn't anyone practice the common courtesy of knocking anymore?"

"The Kiras have the means to kill L now! I have to go to him!"

"What are you talking about? How would you have that sort of information? I thought L wasn't staying in contact with any of us as a safety precaution?" Mello sounded very skeptical.

"He came to me in a dream, okay! I know that sounds completely insane, but it's very real and very serious!"

Both Mello and Roger cut their eyes at each other. Raine was obviously having some sort of breakdown. With a sympathetic smile, Roger pulled out a chair and motioned for Raine to sit down. "Perhaps you would like to sit down and talk about this bad dream of yours? I'm sure everything is just fine. You're just letting the stress of L's absence get the better of you."

Raine was starting to get angry. "Roger, please! Why won't you help m-" Raine suddenly lost her breath as a sharp pain developed in her chest. She kneeled over in pain. Her eyes were wide open.

Both Mello and Roger rushed over to her, fearing the worse. Mello's eyes were bulging. "What the hell's going on? Shit, Roger! Is it Kira? It can't be!"

Roger was in just as much of a panic as Mello. "Mello, go and get the nurse! Hurry!"

Without hesitation, Mello hurried out of Roger's office and down the hallway to the nurse's office. Less than three minutes later, the nurse was examining Raine. She took a small empty paper bag and made Raine breath into it. "It's okay, Ms. Lawliet. You're just having a panic attack." Roger and Mello looked relieved. Panic attacks were often mistaken as heart attacks. They had both feared the possibility that Kira had found out about Raine. Eliminating Raine would have been the key to eliminating L himself. If only they could have known that at that same moment, on the other side of the world, L was also feeling a sharp pain in his chest. Unfortunately, it was a lot more serious than a panic attack.

A very familiar feeling pierced through L's chest. It was the same feeling he had experienced firsthand when he was only three. The invisible blade of death had stabbed straight through his heart; and this time, it wasn't going to let him get away. The pain was so intense; he fell out of his chair. As L closed his eyes to the world, he could see the stained glass fixtures on the ceiling of the cathedral. He could hear the bell ringing- calling to him. His original destiny had finally caught up with him.

As the cathedral ceiling began to fade away, L's eyes took in one final image. Looking down on him was none other than Light Yagami, who wore a devilish smirk on his face. Light _wanted_ L to know that he was dying in Kira's arms. He wanted L to feel the ultimate defeat. L simply confirmed to himself in those last moments that Light Yagami was indeed Kira and that he had been right all along. He understood now what B had meant when he described what it was like to die as your worst enemy looked down at you. He hadn't been able to remember his step father looking down at him; so there was no confusing who was watching him die with amusement. The face of Kira shined straight through the illusion of the cathedral. In a moment that seemed forever frozen in time, L Lawliet's eyes closed.

Raine hung her head down in silence. Her lunch hour was over, and Roger had left the office to find someone to cover Raine's remaining classes. Mello had decided to skip class so he could offer her support. He was still taking his mission from L very seriously. "You know, it's a little unrealistic to get so upset over a dream." Though he meant well, Mello's brand of _support _was often the kind that offered the least amount of comfort.

Raine didn't look up. Her voice was low and fragile. "It wasn't just a dream, Mello. I actually talked to him. We communicate through dream taps. You might think that's crazy, but it's true. Something horrible just happened, Mello. I felt it. He's my spiritual mate. When he's in distress, I feel it."

Mello decided not to follow up with a reply. Instead, he pulled out a bar of chocolate and offered it to her. When Raine shook her head, he leaned on Roger's desk and opened it for himself. He studied her hard as he bit into his chocolate bar. There was more than one moment when he had opened his mouth to say something, but he'd always stopped himself before any words surfaced.

Roger soon returned and dismissed Raine from her classes for the rest of the day. Raine didn't really respond to anything Roger had to say. It was as if her mind had completely shut down. She kept her face buried in her hands. Every now and then, she'd rock slightly. Roger began to wonder how he was going to get her out of his office. "Roger, this is the first time she's made such a scene since L left. She's normally fairly laid back and easy going. Do you think something really _has_ happened to L?"

"Mello, how can we possibly panic over a nightmare? It's been almost a year since she's seen her lover. She's lonely for him and, on top of that, she knows he's away on very dangerous business. It's only natural for her to have those sorts of dreams."

Mello didn't look completely satisfied. "I think you should give her the rest of the week off. She should stay here for a few days too. I'll help prepare a temporary room for her if you need me to. I don't feel comfortable with her being alone in the state she's in right now."

Roger looked a little surprised. "You're normally not so attentive to other people's needs, Mello. At any rate, I can make the arrangements you're requesting." Roger hesitated before he continued. "If something has indeed happened to L, I have no way of knowing about it unless Wammy contacts me. If something has happened to Mr. Wammy as well, then it could be another month before I know anything."

"Keep me informed, Roger. I'm sure this will blow over soon." Mello asked Roger for a key to one of the empty rooms. He then concentrated on getting Raine out of Roger's office. "You'll probably feel a lot better if you go outside and breathe in a little fresh air." Though he couldn't get Raine to reply, he did manage to get her to follow him. Roger patted Raine on the shoulder and gave her a few words of encouragement. She followed Mello outside to the courtyard in silence.

Despite her depression, she couldn't help but notice Mello's reluctance to stop staring at her. She sighed heavily. "Mello, I appreciate your concern; but it really isn't polite to stare a hole through someone like that. I'm not going to do anything crazy. I'm not going to do anything at all."

"So, being outside _did_ help. I had a feeling it would. At least you're talking now."

Mello's idea of preparing a room for Raine involved bribing Matt to do it _for_ him. Matt put a fresh set of sheets on the mattress and brought up some fresh toiletries. All the while, Mello sat on the couch munching on chocolate. Though Raine was grateful for their kindness, she was ready for both of them to leave. When they finally did leave, Raine fell onto the bed and buried herself under the covers. She had to sleep as much as possible if she hoped to achieve another dream tap. She couldn't bring herself to admit it; but she knew in her heart that L couldn't answer her. There was nothing else she could do other than continue to swim in denial.

* * *

December 5, 2004

There was no need to knock on the door. Mello knew Raine wasn't going to answer it. She had only stayed at Wammy's for a week before returning back to her beach house. She had decided to give the oral winter exams for all of her classes early. Not surprisingly, all of her students passed. Now they had an entire class block to goof off each day until after the Christmas holidays were over. Raine had remained in the seclusion of her home. Her depression had not yet lifted, but she had no desire to share her misery with everyone else.

Instead of trying to get an answer at the door, Mello walked around back. Raine was sitting on the beach, perched as L had so often perched. She was staring out at the ocean. Her face wore no expression. Mello narrowed his eyes as he approached her. Raine had lost a dangerous amount of weight. She looked sickly. During her brief stay at Wammy House, her co-workers had noticed that Raine wasn't eating. She seldom spoke to anyone, nor did she even appear to be completely aware of her surroundings. One of the other teachers had stated that it was as though Raine's soul had just decided to leave her body behind one day. There was no life in her eyes anymore. She was nothing more than an animated body.

Raine slowly turned her attention to the approaching Mello. She couldn't bring herself to smile at him. Mello thought it was tragedy. As much as he had never cared for the color of her eyes or the fact that she was just an average brunette with frizzy hair, he had to admit that her smile had always made her attractive. Now that the smile was gone and she loooked like a skeleton with it's skin still atttached, Mello found her appearence almost disgusting. Raine glanced at the bag that Mello was carrying with him. "You're running away, aren't you?" Her voice was low and monotone.

"Damn right, I'm leaving!" Mello sat down beside her, dropping his bag between them. "I'm sick of coming in second to Near! I'm going to show them all that I don't need to hide in L's shadow to make a difference! That's exactly what they expect of Near! That pathetic little terd!"

Raine was only half paying attention to Mello's rant. She looked back out at the sea as she spoke. "You can stay here if you want. I no longer have any reason to be here."

Mello stiffened up. "I… guess I don't have to tell you the news…"

"No, Mello. I already know… he's gone."

Mello was starting to feel awkward, as he always did when he thought he needed to comfort Raine. "I'm… sorry. I didn't want to believe it. I didn't think it was possible. I promise you, Raine… L's death will be avenged. I'll personally see to it." Mello had started addressing Raine a little less formally since he had completed three of her courses.

"So what do you plan on doing, Mello? Are you going to try and go after Kira alone?"

"I'm launching my own investigation."

"Then you'll need to know a few things. L gave me a vital piece of information on the night of our final dream tap." Raine told Mello about the existence of shinigamis and Death Notes. She even mentioned Light Yagami as being the prime suspect. Mello listened intently. The piece of information that boiled his blood more than anything was the possibility that Kira was now currently assuming the identity of L. "Kira robbed L of not just his life; but his very existence, Mello. His soul wasn't supposed to perish with his human body. He was very special. Even so, if his name was written in a Death Note, then L met his final end. Every bit of lifespan that was connected to his name was sucked right out of him."

Mello hesitated. "You know… I once read somewhere that there were 'special' spirits who were partial to the sun. It's said that once their bodies die, their spirits almost immediately pull themselves out by using solar energy instead of lifespan. In fact, the sun's rays are often thought of as a _source_ of lifespan."

Raine raised her head slightly. "You say you _read _that somewhere?"

"Yeah, I know how to read, believe it or not. Would L happen to be one of those _special _sprits?"

"No, though you _are_ close. What you're referring to is a special ability of a fire elemental. L was a water elemental." Raine turned her eyes to Mello and studied him in silence. Though it wasn't a full smile, she couldn't help but wear a quick one. "Young, hot-headed Mello… you always have been a ball of fire, haven't you?"

Mello smiled slyly. "You've got it." He stood up and extended his hand to her. "I know the location of Mr. Wammy's body. Since he's been positively identified, his body will be exhumed and transported to the first orphanage he opened. I think it's called 'Lillian Fields', or something like that. I'm only going to assume that L's body was laid to rest in the same cemetery as Wammy."

Raine decided to go ahead and accept Mello's assistance. She took his hand and stood up. It reminded her of L. "Has Roger not claimed L's body as well?"

Mello hesitated. "Roger doesn't want to take that risk. If Kira finds out that L was connected to any of Wammy's orphanages, they could become targets,"

Raine frowned. "I bet they embalmed him and put him in a vault. I guess I have one final purpose here. I need to return him to the soil."

"That's pretty damn morbid! But if you're going to Japan, then that's where I'll go. What better place to start my investigation, than the home of Kira himself?"

Raine wasn't sure she liked the idea of Mello pursuing the Kira case. He was still so young at almost 14. A teenager shouldn't be worried about saving the world from a mass murderer. Teenagers were supposed to worry about things like dates and the latest trends and final exams. Raine knew that she couldn't stop Mello from leaving Wammy House. He was after all, a hot headed ball of fire. With one mission in mind, Raine packed a very small bag and walked through the home that she and L had so briefly shared one final time. It was heartbreaking, but she somehow managed to pull herself together and walk away from the life that she never had the chance to finish building.

* * *

The sun was starting to set by the time Raine and Mello found the cemetery. Watari's body had already been moved. The empty grave had been filled in- the tombstone removed. Beside Watari's old grave was a cross that bore no name. This was the one- the one that Raine was looking for. Mello stood at the foot of the grave and bowed his head. Raine had agreed to let Mello say his goodbyes to L first. Mello closed his eyes and balled up his fists. _'I don't know how it came to this, L; but rest assure, you're death will not be in vain. I will finish what you started, L. I will put an end to Kira if it's the last thing I do! No one will stand in my way; not even that twerp who's still sitting spoiled and pretty at Wammy's! I am the next generation of justice!' _

Mello looked over at Raine. "What do you plan on doing about his body? Are you going to try and get it exhumed and have it moved back to the UK?"

"…No." Raine sighed and put her hand on Mello's shoulder. "You understand that I can't continue to travel with you, right? I can give you the funds you need to get you started as well as my blessing, but…"

"I understand. You have to follow your own path. You wouldn't be safe with me anyway. I have a pretty good idea of what direction I'm walking in. It's one that L would expect me to keep you far away from. You should go back to the UK and try and live the best way you can. You still have the rest of your life ahead of you. You'll see plenty of sunny days in the future as long as you don't isolate yourself. You might want to actually try and eat something too- maybe get a little sun on your skin and put some cream on those puffy eyes. You look like hell."

A small smile formed on Raine's face. "You always know just what to say to comfort someone." One thing that Mello could appreciate about Raine was her sarcasm. "Mello, please promise me you won't do anything reckless. Don't let your hatred of Near fuel your ambition."

"I can't promise you that. I do what it takes to produce results. Sometimes, being reckless is the only thing that works. What I can promise you… is that I'll never let my personal feelings cause me to lose sight of what matters. It'll be the most difficult challenge I ever face, but I know I can do it."

"I know you can do it too, Mello. I'm very proud of you. L was proud of you."

Mello had a stunning smile. It was always so genuine- one that expressed true happiness. It was also a very rare expression for the boy. His smile faded when he looked back down at L's grave. "I should leave you two alone for awhile. I'm sure there are probably things you want to say to him without me being here. I think I'll go see what sort of restaurants they have around here. I'll report back soon."

"Thanks, Mello. Be careful." Raine watched as Mello waved and disappeared into the distance. When she was sure he was gone, she sank to the cold ground and rested on top of L's grave. She yearned to feel his warmth. She wanted to hear his heart beating and follow his breathing. Raine cried to herself for several minutes, caressing the soil on top of his grave as if she were caressing his skin. She couldn't stop telling him how much she loved him; though she knew he couldn't hear her. Eventually, Raine gathered enough composure to speak to an unseen entity. "I know you're there. You probably think all of this is funny."

A familiar voice answered her. "I don't find any of this amusing at all." It was the voice of the strange child- the one who still awaited Raine to finish her sentence. "It is what it is."

"Everything that's ever had any meaning to me is gone. There's nothing left."

The child didn't look moved by Raine's tears. "You've lost your will to exist. Is it your wish to fade away into nothing?"

"Yes. I've seen all there is to see. What's more, I'm a criminal who has yet to serve my time. I have no reason nor do I have a right to be here."

"Do you regret saving Adian's life?"

A look of anger formed on Raine's face. "No. I'm sorry, but no. I realized from the very beginning that what I was doing was considered a crime; but I don't regret it. I don't regret giving Adian another chance."

"Then you haven't learned your lesson."

"I've learned my lesson alright. It just isn't the one that you were hoping for. Adian was destined to survive that night at the cathedral. It wasn't chance that made us cross paths. I was destined to save him. Nothing happens within the threads of life without reason. The web that has since been built is indestructible, and Adian is the source of the thread. Even with Adian gone, his web still remains; still catching the many stones that are thrown at it. I regret nothing."

The wind suddenly picked up. The child had moved over to the cross that marked the head of L's grave. "You're planning on using up the remainder of your lifespan right here. And once you're body is on the brink of death, you'll choose to remain inside of your body instead of escaping. You truly are a broken spirit."

"Yeah, I guess I am. I suppose I shouldn't bother asking you for any last favors."

The child's eyebrows arched with curiosity. "Such as?"

"I want L to return to the elements rather than rot inside of that man-made metal."

"I've already melted away his vault through another request. I've even taken it upon myself to speed up his decomposition."

"Who made the request?"

"I thought that question might pop up. I have nothing to gain from telling you."

"You have nothing to gain if you _don't_ tell me."

"True." He shrugged, but he still didn't answer the question. "I'm going to do you a favor. I don't know why; but for some strange reason, I've managed to grow attached to your kind. Because of such, I'm going to dispose of your body for you. You can rot right alongside Adian. That is what you want, is it not?"

"Yes. That's exactly what I want."

"Very well then." Several vine-like arms of mud emerged from L's grave and wrapped tightly around Raine. She could feel them pulling her into the ground. "I shall kill your body. You will begin decomposing as soon as you're in the ground. You and Adian will be little more than fertilized soil by tomorrow morning, courtesy of yours truly. I'm leaving the option open for your spirit to escape."

"I have no intention of escaping. Just get it over with. I'm not resisting."

"What a sad story." The child actually yawned as he watched Raine sink into the ground. "Hey, do you want to see a neat trick?"

"Not really."

"You're really going to like this. I can create the illusion of the living dead. Watch! I love seeing reactions to this trick!" Raine suddenly felt arms wrap around her. They had emerged from the ground and were now helping to pull her into the earth. Raine recognized the length of the fingers as L's. The child was using L's body to pull Raine down. Raine didn't scream, nor did she try and break away. She wanted L to pull her down with him.

Raine placed her hand over L's. It was cold and stiff. The feeling offered Raine no comfort. Raine replayed every memory of L she had through her mind as she sank; all the way back to the night of the cathedral slayings. It was that tragic night when she first met the little boy who had fought death with everything he had- the little boy who refused to die. Raine reflected on the fact that they had met through a tragedy, and now their story was ending in a tragedy. The irony of it almost made her laugh.

It took less than five minutes to complete the process. The child stood alone as he looked down on L's (and now Raine's) grave. He sensed that Mello was returning. Without a word or expression, he placed his hand on the ground and absorbed something into his hand. Perhaps he had absorbed the rest of Raine's lifespan; or perhaps he had simply started the unnatural process of breaking down their corpses. By the time Mello returned to L's grave, only the silence of death was there to greet him.

* * *

It was the sound of water dripping that woke her up. Though she was very groggy, she realized almost immediately that something wasn't right. "W-what the… how is this possible? No! I didn't leave my body! I'm not supposed to exist anymore!" Raine jumped up and took in her surroundings. _'This is… a cave? Or… some sort of underground chamber?_' Raine made her way to the entrance. She squinted as she stepped outside into the light.

She was surrounded by wild plant life. It was like an exotic rainforest, though there seemed to be a lack of insects or other animals. She could hear a waterfall somewhere close by in the distance. She noticed she was dressed in what looked like blue silk pajamas. They appeared almost transparent. As Raine walked around and took in her surroundings, she noticed something different about herself. 'My senses are different… sharper… I'm… definitely not in my human body anymore." Realizing that she was no longer restricted to her human body, Raine decided to make herself airborne so she could get a better look at her surroundings.

Several hundred feet up in the air, Raine saw a familiar landmark. She instantly went to investigate. Much to her astonishment, she was standing in front of the Gingko tree that Onasisk had left for her. All of the trees he had planted had fully sprung to life. She was completely amazed to discover that not only was she standing in her field, but she was also standing still. The dark forest never appeared. The depression never touched her. Something caught her eye. Nested inside a small opening in the thick trunk of the tree, was her flute. It was in the case that L had given her. She traced the edges of the case and sighed. _'This is great, but… I'm still alone. Nothing is going to bring him back. I'm not sure how this place became a paradise, but it doesn't mean anything if I'm all alone here. And how the hell did I get here anyway? It doesn't make any sense!'_

With her flute now in hand, Raine leaned on the tree and began to play the song that she had written for L. It was the only song she knew she could put her heart into. It was _his_ song. The music filled the silence of the rain forest with a beautiful melody. Raine felt herself almost start to cry once she finished. All she could think about was L. Raine turned around immediately when she heard something rustling through the surrounding greenery. Apparently, she wasn't alone after all. She half expected to see the wretched child step out into the clearing. Raine wasn't sure how long she had been asleep. Perhaps he was back to make her finish her sentence.

If Raine would have had a heartbeat, it would have stopped right there. It wasn't the child who stepped into the clearing at all. It was… L. Raine thought she was hallucinating at first. There was no way it could be possible. They approached each other slowly. L wasn't wearing his usual white t-shirt with jeans. He wasn't wearing a shirt at all. He had on strange looking black pants (or at least she thought they were pants) accented with white. On his head, he wore a chain; much like the one that Raine had seen in her dream on the night she had been abducted. His new pants had pockets in them. L had his hands planted firmly into them. His posture was a lot straighter, but he still slouched over slightly out of laziness. The black rings under his eyes were gone, but L obviously missed them. It looked like he had tried to paint them back on with dirt or charcoal. L's feet were completely bare, which wasn't unusual at all.

L looked at Raine in awe, as though he were witnessing true beauty for the first time. Raine was just as awe stricken. She couldn't figure out if she was actually seeing L, or an illusion of L. They were inches away from each other now. L lifted up his hand and moved it towards her face. He wanted to touch her, but he was hesitating. When he finally spoke, his voice was like an excited whisper. "You're awake."

Raine wept tears of joy as she dived into his arms. "L! You're okay! How did you escape? Please, tell me this is real! You're real, right? You're here with me right now!"

"I'm as real as you are. And… could you please address me as Adian? I'm afraid L Lawliet is dead."

Raine looked at him with confused eyes. He smiled at her and nudged her nose. "I know you have a lot of questions; and I fully intend on answering them. Right now, however, what I desire to do more than anything is to reconnect with your soul." His lips gently pressed against hers. She returned the kiss, and they soon lost themselves to each other's touches. At the height of their passion, they let go of their solid forms and merged into each other. The feeling was too euphoric for words to describe. It was far more intense than any form of physical contact two humans could share.

Eventually, they separated back into two entities. Eager to show her the new waterfall, L- Adian- pulled her by the hand to his favorite spot. The waterfall was breathtakingly beautiful. The flowing river was even more beautiful. They rested on a boulder that overlooked the waterfall. "I've been working on making the river suitable for living organisms. I sincerely hope to see it filled with aquatic creatures before long."

Raine smiled at his eagerness. "I love you, Adian. I really thought I had lost you."

"Apparently, I almost lost you as well. Taramik told me you tried to erase yourself while I was still sleeping. I don't know what I would have done had I awakened to find out you were gone. I'm grateful that Taramik was moved enough to extract your soul from your body before it burned out."

"T-Tara-Taram-…"

"Taramik."

"T-t-that child? That wretched little child has a name?"

"Yes. In fact, he does. He's become very fond of elementals. He thinks we're _entertaining_."

"I don't like him."

"And he doesn't expect you to. He lifted the enchantment from this world on the agreement that you would not leave for the next 150 years. You slept for almost 72; so your sentence is almost over. Until then, you've been blocked from the use all portals."

"I really slept that long? Did…" Raine hesitated. "Did Mello and Near succeed in bringing down Kira?" She could see him biting his bottom lip.

"Yes. It took them six years after my death, but they were able to defeat him. Kira is no more."

"Adian… How did you escape your body? I was almost positive that shinigami's stole _all_ of one's lifespan. How did you get around that?"

"I don't know if you recall, but do remember when I told you about Beyond Birthday, the man who claimed to have shinigami eyes?"

"Yeah, I remember him. He's the one that set himself on fire, right?"

"Correct. He mentioned to me when I visited him in prison that I had two names. He said that it looked as though someone had tried to erase the original so a new name could be written over it."

Raine thought for a moment. "The name that looked as though it had been erased was your original name…'Adian'. 'L Lawliet' was the first name you responded to with the lifespan I gave you; therefore, it became the name that sealed that lifespan into your body."

"Correct. You mentioned that you couldn't use a lifestone on someone who was already dead. I was still alive when you found me; therefore, I still had lifespan that was connected to that name, be it however little it was."

"T-that's right. I sealed that little bit of lifespan away by using the lifestone. The new lifespan I gave you couldn't merge with the lifespan that had already been sealed with a name, so it waited for a new one. If you would have remembered your original name and used it, then the two would have merged, but that's not the way things happened."

"Correct. And, just has B had thought; only one name was connected to the greater amount of lifespan that I was using to survive. When the shinigami wrote down my name, it wrote down 'L Lawliet'. It took the greater of the two lifespans inside of me. Every bit of lifespan connected to that name was snatched away from me, but the lifespan that was still connected to Adian's name was still there. It was just enough to escape my body; and once I did, I slept for five years so that I could regain my strength."

"Five years… you didn't sleep very long."

"I was too unsettled. The stress of the Kira case was almost enough to break me. When I woke up, I was greeted by Taramik. He had you with him. I had only seen him once before I fell asleep. During that time, I asked him to properly dispose of my body. I was surprised he agreed so easily. At any rate, we spoke of many things, such as your sentence and the havoc that the Death Notes had caused in the human world. We came to an agreement that it would be up to me to keep Death Notes (as well as any other supernatural tool) from falling into the hands of a human. I have to admit it's an interesting job. I've had to leave you here several times as a result of the job; but I find the work to be very fulfilling. It's almost as if I get to keep my job as L in a sense."

"Did you help Near and Mello stop Kira?"

"No. I watched them bloom on their own. I looked down on Light Yagami as he died, just as he looked down on me. The Kira case was no longer mine. I hate that Mello had to sacrifice himself to prove that one of the notebooks was a fake, but he knew that the unpredicted chaos he created would cause one of the Kiras to slip up. It had to be done, or Near's plan would have failed."

Raine almost started to cry when she heard about Mello's fate. Adian held on tight to her. "Have you noticed this world has genuine sunlight now?"

"Yes, I have… but…"

"It was a gift from a friend of ours. He opened up a portal to our world using a fire orb so that the sunlight could get through."

Raine suddenly smiled as she remembered her conversation with Mello. Mello had used his solar energy trick to return to the spirit world. "The hot headed ball of fire; you've got to love him."

Adian started playing with his bottom lip. Some habits just never died. "We have all of the elements we need to finish this world now. What sort of world would you like it to be?"

Raine thought for a while. "Well… I'm not sure I want to make this a human world. In fact, I think I'm happy with it being just the two of us. No societies and no worries about playing God. I don't really want that."

"I was hoping you would say that. I have my hands way too full with my other job to be a deity. It really doesn't appeal to me in the least."

"Maybe we could have some animals though? We could make this like our house; and when we want company, we'll just go and visit the other worlds… once my sentence is over."

"I believe that's a wonderful idea."

"Can I ask you something?"

"Of course."

"Why do you have a chain on your head?"

L grinned from ear to ear. "I was wondering how long it would take you to say something. As you already know, I'm very fond of chains. It isn't real of course. It's just an illusion, like the rest of our clothes. I'm sure I'll tire of it eventually. For now, it's my own personal crown."

As they listened to the sounds of the waterfall and indulged in each other's company; Adian and Akaia both silently thanked the higher heavens for allowing them to live out their fairy tale together. Though they had both encountered tragedy after tragedy on the journey, their suffering had allowed them to find the happiness that most beings could never see. Though they knew they would encounter many more heartaches in their time of existence; they could never lose sight of the true beauty they had found. For all of its cruel tragedies, life truly was beautiful.

* * *

**And there you have it. The conclusion. Forgive me for not really going into the Kira case, I just didn't really see how L or Raine being elementals would have changed the story for the better. I hope that those who were hoping L didn't die aren't too upset. I don't like the fact that L died either, but I'm not the one who origianlly wrote it. I did the best I could to make his death a little less unbearable. I hope I didn't leave too many loose ends.**

**I'm currently working on a small drabble as a companion piece for this story, which will deal with L's first years in the spirit world. Expect that in April, 2011!**

**I would like to announce that I will soon begin working on a collaboration project. It will be an all new LxOC story... To Catch a Sparrow will be the title. Because it's a collaboration, the other writer has requested that it be posted on an all new profile. If you want to read it, then please visit my profile periodicly for a link to it! The first chapter should be out sometimes in April 2011!**

**I cannot thank you guys enough for reading this all the way through! I know that not many of you made it this far, so I am a very big fan of yours if you did! I highly enjoyed working on this story, and it's the first big project I've ever actually completed! Thank you guys so much for the reviews! I love writing with L, and I look forward to writing with him even more! ^_^**


End file.
